Breakfast Casserole Featuring WIC Foods Is Perfect For Christmas Brunch
You’re in for a treat with this easy and delicious breakfast casserole using WIC-approved foods like eggs, milk, and potatoes!
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
20 oz shredded hash browns, thawed (or you can shred fresh potatoes)
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
1 ¼ cup diced mix of onions and bell peppers
2 ½ cups shredded cheese
8 eggs
1 ⅓ cup milk
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to taste
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains. Drain excess fat in a strainer.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch pan with oil or butter.
Add the hashbrowns, cooked sausage, diced onion and bell pepper mix, and 2 cups of cheese. Mix the ingredients together and spread them out evenly.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, then add the milk and seasonings. Mix until well blended.
Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the pan and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
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Get Your WIC Groceries at Lone Star Family Market
December can be a busy time.
On top of the already stressful kid routine, parents usually have a lot of added stress during a very busy month.
Instead of searching long aisles for WIC-approved foods, let us help you get all your WIC foods in one easy stop. WIC customers can get in-out-out fast, giving parents extra time to do everything else on their to-do lists.
Bilingual clerks at Lone Star Family Market will help you get everything you need in one easy, fast stop. Visit today to let us show you how easy WIC grocery shopping can be.
Thanksgiving Stuffing
Impress your Thanksgiving guests with this delicious stuffing recipe, where every bite is a grateful celebration of savory goodness.
STUFFING
1 loaf of bread*, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3-4 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 medium carrot, grated
½ lb ground sausage (I use Turkey sausage)
¾ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely minced
3 tsp fresh sage, finely minced
2 cups chicken broth*
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder, to taste
NOTES:
Bread: For best results, use a heavier bread like wheat bread, cornbread or sourdough, not a light and airy sandwich bread like Wonderbread.
Make ahead instructions: Prepare the stuffing 1 day in advance to give the flavors time to soak in. To make ahead of time, prepare as directed but don’t bake it. Store in a covered casserole dish in the fridge. Before your Thanksgiving meal, remove the stuffing from the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to bring to room temperature, then follow the baking instructions.
Vegetarian/Vegan: To make this vegetarian, leave out the sausage. To make this recipe vegan, use oil instead of butter and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Cut the bread into cubes using a sharp serrated knife. Try not to smash the bread too much as you’re cutting. Spread the bread cubes out onto a baking sheet to dry out for at least 24 hours, OR set your oven to 200 degrees F and cook for 2 hours to dry, tossing them occasionally.
Finely dice the onion and celery, grate the carrot, and mince the parsley and sage.
Brown the sausage and break it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain the sausage well and use a paper towel to soak up excess grease.
Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat and add the onions and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Add in the sage and gently stir in, cook until the sage is starting to wilt and release its flavors.
Add the dried bread cubes into a mixing bowl, sprinkle in the parsley, add the cooked sausage, and gently mix together. Pour the veggies with butter over the dried bread cubes and sausage and gently mix again to combine.
Slowly add in the chicken broth. Start with 1 cup and slowly pour small amounts of broth as you stir gently. It is important not to pour all of the broth in at once, as it will make soggy spots in the bread. You want to make sure the bread is slightly moist, but not overly wet. Add in your seasonings at this time as you’re stirring.
Pour the stuffing into a greased casserole dish and cover with tin foil.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy your Thanksgiving stuffing!
Broccoli and Cheese Is A Great Thanksgiving Side
This is a Thanksgiving side dish your family will love, and it’s made with WIC-approved foods. This super nutritious vegetable topped with cheese will be loved by everyone gathered around your table. You will want to keep serving it up this winter because it’s a cozy dish for winter weather.
Cheese Sauce For Broccoli
Cooked broccoli, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of milk
1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and keep whisking until you form a paste. Add milk and keep whisking for about 5 minutes or until it is thick. Add cheese and combine until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked broccoli to the mixture or use topping to spread on top of your broccoli, using just as much as desired. * You can also add cooked rice to the broccoli and cheese.
Note: Cheese sauce can also be used for topping for potatoes or other types of vegetables. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Split Pea Soup
Cozy up with a filling split pea soup slow-cooked in a crock pot. A bowlful of goodness that’s great for chilly days, and perfect for using up holiday leftovers like ham or a ham bone!
Split Pea Soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 bag (16 oz) of split peas
1 box (32 oz) of chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups of diced ham, or a leftover ham bone
Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Celery Seed
Add all ingredients into a crock pot and set to high heat. Cover and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. If you like your soup thinner, you can add extra chicken broth or water. Enjoy!