Ham and Egg Cheese Casserole

I made 10 of these casseroles for our church brunch, having many requests for the recipe. It is not one of those recipes filled with bread, so it is popular with the men. I added some crumbled bacon to the mix. The recipes called for the cheeses on the bottom of the casserole. I thought this was strange, but then realized it creates a crust for the egg mixture. Still I just had to add a shredded cheddar cheese topping . . . couldn't help it and was glad I did. Also, use the convection bake mode on your oven. I didn't and had the bottom burn on some of the casseroles before they were set. Lesson learned.

1½ cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1½ cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

6 green onions. sliced

1 med sweet red pepper, chopped

2 Tbs butter

1¾ cups fully cooked ham, cut into small chunks

¼ cup flour

8 eggs

1¾ cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra cheddar cheese for topping, optional

Combine cheeses (3 cups total) and sprinkle into a greased 13x9x2" baking dish.

In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms, onions, and red pepper in butter. Stir in ham. Spoon over the cheese.

In a bowl, combine flour, eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ham mixture; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake on convection mode @325 for 35-45 minutes until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Serves 8-10

Quinoa, Black Bean, and Mango Salad

This is a yummy Mexican side dish served to my Bridge Babes in the Northwoods. I was hesitant to use cilantro, fearful some wouldn't like it, so I used fresh parsley instead. It was good, but next time in goes the cilantro.

1½ cups pre-washed white quinoa

2¼ cups water

Salt and pepper

5 Tbs lime juice (3 limes)

½  jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

¾ tsp ground cumin

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ¼" pieces

1 can (15 oz) black beans,  rinsed

2 scallions, sliced thin

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin

Toast quinoa i large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until very fragrant, making a popping sound, 5-7 minutes. Stir in water and ½ tsp salt, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until most of water has been absorbed and quinoa is nearly tender, about 15 minutes. Spread quinoa onto a rimmed baking sheet and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

Process lime juice, jalapeño, cumin, and 1 tsp salt in blender until jalapeño is finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, add oil and cilantro. Continue to process until smooth and emulsified, about 20 seconds.

Add bell pepper, mango, beans, scallions, and lime-jalapeno dressing to cooled quinoa. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with sliced avocado when serving.