What can you make for breakfast or brunch that will easily feed a houseful of holiday family and friends and still be filled with good nutrition? Dietitian Kim Galeaz says the key is to make and bake ahead and get everyone involved in helping with big-batch recipes. She has stress-free savory strata, potato hash, and baked treats to keep everyone happy and healthy.

Savory Strata:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 cups cubed French bread from Kroger bakery/deli
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) private selection chef’s blend shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, gouda, asiago blend),
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 large eggs
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 ½ cups cooked and finely chopped broccoli florets and stems (part of a 16 oz. bag private selection of handpicked broccoli florets)
  • Topping: additional 1 cup (4 oz.) private selection chef’s blend shredded cheese

Liberally grease a very deep 9×13-inch casserole dish with butter. Place bread cubes in the dish and sprinkle with 1 bag (2 cups) of shredded cheese. In a small bowl, stir/whisk dry mustard, salt, and pepper together; set aside. In a very large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in seasonings. Add milk and whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour over the bread cubes. Sprinkle your custom fillings (protein and vegetable) over the egg mixture, then fold everything together very gently, taking care not to scrape butter off the bottom. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

When it’s time to bake, heat the oven to 350⁰F. Uncover strata and bake for 60 to 90 minutes, until strata has puffed up slightly and is golden brown on top. You’ll know it’s done when the strata doesn’t shimmy with uncooked custard when you jiggle/shake the dish.

Sprinkle strata with at least 1 cup of Chef’s Blend shredded cheese, return to the oven, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is slightly melted. Enjoy hot. Refrigerate leftovers, cover them, and enjoy them within three days. Makes 8 to 14 servings, depending on your cut size.

Harvest Potato Hash:

  • 1 ½ – 1 ¾ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (around 5 cups)
  • 1 ½ – 1 ¾ pounds red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (around 5 cups)
  • 1 pound green pears (Bartlett of Anjou), unpeeled and cut into ¾ – 1 inch pieces (around 2 ½ to 3 cups)
  • 1 pound red apples (Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady), unpeeled and cut into ¾ – 1 inch pieces (around 2 ½ to 3 cups)
  • 1 ¾ – 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
  • 3 – 5 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 – 2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3/4 – 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400⁰F. Oil two 18×13-inch sheet pans or use parchment paper or foil. Combine sweet potatoes, red potatoes, pears, apples, onion, garlic, and olive oil in a large bowl; toss lightly. Add rosemary, salt, and pepper and toss again. Divide between the two sheet pans evenly. Cook 35 to 45 minutes, stirring a few times, until potatoes are the desired doneness. Serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers in tightly covered containers. Use within 5 days. Makes about 11 cups total hash (at least 10 servings)

Fig Lemon Almond Scuffins:

  • 1 ¾ cups finely chopped (¼-inch pieces) dried mission figs
  • 3 cups + 1 teaspoon white whole-wheat flour, divided
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into diced pieces and softened for just 10 minutes
  • 1 cup Kroger Simple Truth natural sliced almonds
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 -3 tablespoons Private Selection Turbinado Cane Sugar (raw coarse sugar)

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat twelve standard (2½-inch) muffin cups with cooking spray. In a small bowl, toss chopped figs with 1 teaspoon flour to keep them from sticking together. Whisk together 3 cups of whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly with only tiny pieces of butter. In a separate small bowl, whisk milk and egg together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and using a fork, stir in the liquid mixture along with figs and almonds. Blend until all ingredients are moistened, and no shaggy pieces remain on the bottom. The batter will be very thick, more like scone dough. Scoop or spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. They will be very full. (Kim likes to use a heaping 1/3 cup measuring cup.) Sprinkle each muffin with at least ¼ teaspoon raw/turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let scuffins cool in muffin tin for 1 minute, then remove to wire cooling rack. Store in tightly covered containers or zippered freezer bags at room temperature. Scuffins can also be frozen in double-bagged zippered freezer bags. Makes 12 scuffins.

Spiced Pear Walnut Scuffins:

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) Kroger Pear Halves Slices in 100% pear juice concentrate or light syrup, drained
  • 3 cups white whole-wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into diced pieces and softened for just 10 minutes
  • 1 cup Simple Truth (Kroger) Walnut Pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup full-fat buttermilk
  • 2 -3 tablespoons Private Selection Turbinado Cane Sugar (raw coarse sugar)

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat twelve standard (2½-inch) muffin cups with cooking spray. Line a rimmed sheet pan with paper towels. Chop drained pears into ¼-inch tiny diced pieces and place in a single layer on paper towels. Pat diced pears dry with more paper towels.

Whisk together white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. In a glass measuring cup, whisk buttermilk and egg together. Make a well in the flour-butter mixture’s center, and with a fork, stir in the liquid mixture along with diced pears and walnuts. Blend just until all ingredients are moistened, and all shaggy pieces are incorporated. The batter will be very thick, more like scone dough.

Scoop or spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. They will be very full. (Kim likes to use a heaping 1/3 cup measuring cup.) Sprinkle each muffin with at least ¼ teaspoon turbinado (raw) sugar.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden. Let scuffins cool in pan for 1 minute, then remove to wire cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store in tightly covered containers or zippered freezer bags at room temperature. Scuffins can also be frozen in double-bagged zippered freezer bags. Makes 12 scuffins.