Budget-Friendly Holiday Recipes

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Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

Directions

1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
   
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
   
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
   
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.
   

Layered Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients:

16 eggs

1 cup half-and-half or milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed Fiesta nacho cheese soup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2/3 cup salsa
4 soft corn tortillas (6 inch), cut into 3/4-inch strips
1 cup pinto beans (from 15-oz can), drained, rinsed
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup sour cream
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Directions:

In large bowl, beat eggs with whisk. Add half-and-half, salt and pepper; beat well. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook about 7 minutes, scraping cooked eggs up from bottom of skillet occasionally, until mixture is firm but still moist. Stir in soup and chives.

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup of the salsa in bottom of slow cooker. Carefully place half of the tortilla strips on salsa to within 1/2 inch of edge of slow cooker. Top with 1/2 cup of the beans, 3 cups of the egg mixture and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Layer with remaining salsa, tortilla strips, beans and egg mixture.

Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 hours. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover; let stand until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and onions.

Breakfast Tacos

by Lisa Fain

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 cup of milk or half-and-half
4 slices of bacon, or 4 sausage patties or 1 cup of chorizo
1 cup of refried beans, heated
1/2 cup of salsa
1 cup of shredded Longhorn cheddar
4 flour tortillas
1 tablespoon of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk eggs with milk.

Heat up iron skillet on medium-high, and melt tablespoon of butter.

When butter is melted, pour in eggs and scramble for about three minutes or until done to your liking. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat up your flour tortillas either on a skillet, or by laying them on top of a gas burner. When tortilla starts to puff (about 20 seconds) turn it over and cook for another 20 seconds.

Take a tortilla and spread 1/4 cup of refried beans in the center of the tortilla. Add 1/4 of the scrambled eggs, 1/8 cup of salsa, 1/4 cup of cheese and either a slice of bacon or sausage patty.

Fold in bottom 1 inch of the tortilla, and then roll from left to right until self-contained.
Makes four tacos.

The variations on this are endless, so we're providing a basic recipe with which you can experiment and change to your heart’s desire. You an also make them with chopped steak, sautéed vegetables, cut peppers, hash browns, or anything else you want.

Best Buttermilk Waffles

Mix together:  

2 C flour

1/4 C brown sugar

1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, combine:

3 egg yolks (save the whites!)

2 C buttermilk

1/2 C butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

Beat reserved egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy and stiff peaks form.   Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined.  THEN, gently fold in the egg whites, being careful not to over-mix

and thus "deflate" the egg whites.  Spoon batter into greased waffle iron and cook.

Baked French Toast Casserole

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Ingredients

* 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
* 8 large eggs
* 2 cups half-and-half
* 1 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Dash salt
* Praline Topping, recipe follows
* Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is a little different from the baked oatmeal you had, but I think it's pretty yummy.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups skim milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 ½ cups rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sliced bananas (optional)
Raisins(optional)
Dried cranberries(optional)
Walnuts(optional)
Apple slices (optional)
Orange zest(optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together milk, eggs, butter & vanilla in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir together cinnamon, rolled oats, brown sugar & baking powder. Fold milk mixture into oat mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. Top with sliced bananas.

I like to serve it with vanilla yogurt. Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 4 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 c. milk
• 1 c. canned pumpkin
• 4 T. canola oil

Method:

For pancakes, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with apple cider syrup. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.

Apple Cider Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ c. apple cider or juice
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 c. corn syrup
• 4 T. butter or margarine
• 1 t. lemon juice
• ¼ t. ground cinnamon
• ¼ t. ground nutmeg

Method:

In a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.