From our Harvest Home family to yours.  We recommend turning off your computer and engaging in conversation, singing, and laughing with loved ones instead of texting. Christmas and Chanukah are just around the corner, and Kwanzaa begins the day after! Of course, there are lots of special meals to prepare like breakfast.  Here’s a way you get to enjoy the celebrating instead of being stuck in the kitchen cooking for everyone: Christmas Breakfast Casserole. Prepare, refrigerate uncooked overnight, and pop in the oven the next morning.  

It takes a while to cook so there’s plenty of time for you to have your coffee and dress. You can add 1 cup of broccoli, spinach, or greens.  Make it the way you would like it 

 Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons. olive oil

• 8 oz. deli ham, diced

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon. fresh thyme chopped or ½ teaspoon of dried time

• 6 croissants cut into 1 ½ - to 2-in. pieces or stale bread or toasted bread  

• 1 cup milk

• ¾ cup half-and-half

• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

• 5 large eggs

• 2 cups grated white cheddar cheese, divided

• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese, divided

   To Make:

• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ham, onion, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. 

• Brush a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the top with the ham mixture, and mix gently to combine. croissant pieces, 

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, half-and-half, hot sauce, and eggs. Add half of both cheeses. Pour the mixture into the baking dish of both cheeses.;  mix gently to combine and evenly distribute. Cover and refrigerate overnight

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the casserole from the frig, uncover it, and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Pressing down gently on the casserole to make sure all the ingredients are well soaked. 

• Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese. Bake until puffed, golden brown, and the cheese is melted about 45 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Holiday food is a celebration! Enjoy it! Eat a variety of dishes, but remember not to overindulge. Most importantly, share your love & your smiles generously.                                                   

Feliz Navidad         Habari Gani          Chanukah Sameach          Merry Christmas 

Festive Flavors

RECIPE: Cranberry Pear Pie

INGREDIENTS:  FILLINGS

• 3 cups cranberries, Fresh

• ½ cup plus 1 tbsp sugar

• 2 large ripe pears, unpeeled, cored and coarsely chopped

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• finely grated zest of 1 orange

• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

INGREDIENTS: Nut Crumb Topping

• 1 cup walnuts or pecan halves

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• ¾ cup flour

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup of butter

Make a bottom pie crust and chill.

To Make Pie

• Combine cranberries, and ½ cup sugar in a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times until cranberries are well chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with pears, lemon juice, and orange zest. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. 

• In a small bowl mix the remaining tbs of sugar with cornstarch, cinnamon, and cardamom. Add to fruit. Turn the filling into a chilled pie shell. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 35 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the topping. Put nuts, sugar, flour, and salt ina food processor and pulse several times to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles medium-fine crumbs. Transfer to bowl and rub the crumbs between your fingers to make large buttery crumbs.

Recipe Continued

Add the pie topping

• Remove the pie from the oven and reduce temp to 375. Carefully dump the topping into the center of the pie, spreading the crumbs evenly over the surface, and tamp them down lightly. Return to oven and bake until juices bubble thickly around the edges 30-35 minutes. 

• Let cool for about an hour!

TIPS & TRICKS

Breakfast Casserole:

• Make the night before you want to serve. Don’t cook. Cover & put in the frig for no more than 12 hours. Uncooked eggs will be fine for up to 12 hours. 

• The baked casserole will last for about 4 days in the frig.

Cranberry Pear Pie:

• Bartlett,  Bosc,  Comice, or Anjou pears are the best to use

• No bags of cranberries? Use frozen  without defrosting

ENJOY THE DAY

• Dessert looks amazing, but don't skip the salad. Enjoy everything, just a few bites less of everything.

• Take photos of each other, not the food. It'll make your Instagram way more interesting.