Is your mom always the one in the kitchen? You’ll usually find her cooking up a storm for family dinners, holiday gatherings and everything in between. This Mother’s Day, give mom a break by surprising her with a homemade brunch menu fit for a queen.
Mother’s Day Breakfast
Strawberry and Ginger Champagne Spritzers
- 1 pound fresh or thawed frozen strawberries, roughly chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 bottle (750ml) semi-dry champagne, sparkling wine, or 24 fluid ounces ginger ale
- In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, ginger and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are broken down and softened, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the ginger. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as you can.
- Add the lemon juice and allow the mixture to come to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator to chill.
- Just before serving, add about 1 ounce each of the strawberry syrup to six champagne flutes.
- Slowly fill each glass partially with the champagne. Once the champagne has stopped fizzing, continue to fill each glass to the top.
Tater Tot Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 pound (16 ounces) country ham, diced
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (8-ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (32-ounce) package frozen tater tots
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat oil over medium heat.
- Add the bell peppers and green onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add the diced ham and cook until the ham is light pink, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper together.
- Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and the entire ham mixture. Stir to combine.
- Arrange the tater tots in a single layer on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole dish.
- Pour the egg mixture over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the eggs are set.
Southern Tomato Pie
For the buttermilk biscuit crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, grated
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, more if needed
For the tomato pie:
- 2-3 small to medium ripe tomatoes sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup finely chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, and oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the buttermilk biscuit crust:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Position rack in the middle of the oven.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the butter and stir until pieces of butter are mixed evenly throughout the flour mixture.
- Add ¾ cup of buttermilk and stir until dough comes together and begins to leave the side of the bowl, adding additional milk if necessary.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Lightly knead 10 times.
- Form the dough into a 5-inch round. Then, using a flour rolling pin, roll the dough out into a round measuring at least 13-inches wide and about ½-inch thick.
- Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate or quiche pan.
- Using the tines of a fork, prick about a dozen holes into the bottom of the crust. This will prevent any bubbles from forming in the crust as it’s baking.
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the crust is just starting to turn brown.
For the tomato pie:
- Arrange the tomato slices on a layer of paper towels. Pat the tops dry with another paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Combine the cheese, mayonnaise, herbs and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spread the herb cheese mixture over the top of the biscuit crust.
- Arrange the tomato slices over the cheese.
- Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Allow the pie to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Cut into slices and serve warm.
