Mother’s Day is almost upon us, and one of the best gifts you can give your mother, grandmother, wife or the mother figure in your life is a beautiful brunch to kick off the day. At the same time, many people develop a love of cooking from their mothers and grandmothers. That’s why our friends at BlueStar have crafted a beautiful Mother’s Day Brunch Menu designed to combine the best of sweet and savory. Below you’ll be able to find Chef Susan’s decadent picks. She and fellow mom Becky Stavin from Abt’s HR department worked together to mix and bake these recipes in our BlueStar kitchen. Spoiler: they’re delicious. Chef Susan designed them just for celebrations like these, where you’ll want enough food to feed the family and enough flavor to make Mom’s day special. But first, we’ll list her tips for following along. At the end of the post, you’ll find the YouTube video. Enjoy the Mother’s Day brunch menu, and have fun cooking!
Cooking Tips: Overnight Bourbon Pecan French Toast Casserole
- Choose to cube your bread or leave it in slices; if it’s cubed, it will absorb fluid and flavor better.
- If you’re searching for a new knife, prioritize what feels comfortable in your hand. A knife that’s too heavy will leave you feeling tired after just a few slices.
- When you’re just using egg yolks for part of a recipe, try saving the whites. You can make a lovely omelet with them later.
- Fresh nutmeg and a microplane deliver better flavor than canned spices.
[cooked-sharing]
For the pecan French toast, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the bread cubes into the prepared baking dish, set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the milk, heavy cream, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, eggs, egg yolks, bourbon, vanilla and half of the brown sugar
and beat until well combined. Chef Susan recommends grinding fresh nutmeg for the best flavor.
Pour the liquid mixture over the bread slowly and evenly to make sure all of the bread is coated. Gently toss. Sprinkle the top with the remaining brown sugar and ¼ cup chopped pecans.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow 15-30 minutes for it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place in oven while still covered with foil, and bake covered for 35 minutes. Then carefully uncover and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm in the center.
Top with gooey pecan topping and serve warm. Chef Susan likes to grate fresh orange zest on top. Other topping options include whipped cream or ice cream.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Add in the brown sugar and cook, stirring with a whisk, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes.
Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, heavy cream, maple syrup and salt, whisk to combine.
Add in the pecans and using a rubber spatula, fold them into the liquid mixture until the are completely coated.
Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Pour over the baked pecan French toast.
Ingredients
Directions
For the pecan French toast, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the bread cubes into the prepared baking dish, set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the milk, heavy cream, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, eggs, egg yolks, bourbon, vanilla and half of the brown sugar
and beat until well combined. Chef Susan recommends grinding fresh nutmeg for the best flavor.
Pour the liquid mixture over the bread slowly and evenly to make sure all of the bread is coated. Gently toss. Sprinkle the top with the remaining brown sugar and ¼ cup chopped pecans.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow 15-30 minutes for it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place in oven while still covered with foil, and bake covered for 35 minutes. Then carefully uncover and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm in the center.
Top with gooey pecan topping and serve warm. Chef Susan likes to grate fresh orange zest on top. Other topping options include whipped cream or ice cream.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Add in the brown sugar and cook, stirring with a whisk, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes.
Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, heavy cream, maple syrup and salt, whisk to combine.
Add in the pecans and using a rubber spatula, fold them into the liquid mixture until the are completely coated.
Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Pour over the baked pecan French toast.
Cooking Tips: Broccoli and Feta Frittata
- For this Mother’s Day brunch menu recipe, cut broccoli small so that it softens quickly.
- Chef Susan chooses Feta cheese for its creamy softness.
[cooked-sharing]
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk the eggs, milk, garlic and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a 10 or 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, broccoli and a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until the broccoli is tender but still bright green. 5-8 minutes. Stir in the
smoked paprika, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute.
Sprinkle with feta and bake 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Season to taste.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk the eggs, milk, garlic and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a 10 or 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, broccoli and a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until the broccoli is tender but still bright green. 5-8 minutes. Stir in the
smoked paprika, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute.
Sprinkle with feta and bake 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Season to taste.
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