Are you planning on having your Christmas celebrations away from home this year? That Perhaps you’re one of the many people that love having Christmas morning out of town, if so we’ve found some super-simple recipes that you can whip up at the holiday house.
Egg Croissant Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400g mushrooms, sliced
- 12 mini croissants
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup or 140g Gruyere cheese, grated
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
- With butter, grease a large casserole dish.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat oil and sautee mushrooms for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden brown
- While mushrooms are cooking, partially split the croissants, being careful not to cut all the way through. Stuff croissants with the spinach and most of the cheese, leaving ½ cup aside. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish and arrange with cut sides facing up (like hot dog buns). Divide mushrooms among the stuffed croissants.
- Beat eggs with milk and ½ tsp salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour evenly over the croissants before sprinkling remaining ½ cup cheese on top. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, but ideally overnight.
- An hour before breakfast, heat oven to 190C. Bake with foil on dish for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 25-30 more minutes, until eggs are puffed and just set.
Roast sweet potato and onion tart
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 medium red onions, finely sliced
- 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 100g cranberry sauce
- 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 2 x 320g sheets of pre-rolled puff pastry
- 300g soft goats cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 200C
- In a non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and cook onions over low heat for 20-25 minutes until softened and lightly brown. Add vinegar and cranberry sauce, and simmer for 5-10 minutes while stirring until most liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool.
- Put sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with remaining olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Arrange on baking trays and cook for 20 mins, turning halfway, until lightly browned and soft in the middle. Allow to cool.
- Reduce oven to 180C.
- Line two large baking trays with baking paper and neatly unroll puff pastry, trimming the edges.
- Leaving a 2cm gap around each edge, spread onions over the pastry, followed by sweet potato and goats these. Brush the beaten egg around the border of the pastry. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is golden.
- Cut each tart into quarters, garnish with thyme, and serve with a leafy salad!
Microwave alcoholic fudge
INGREDIENTS
- 400g golden caster sugar
- 400g can of condensed milk
- 140g salted butter, chopped in pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla essence or vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp coffee liqueur (amaretto or brandy also work well)
METHOD
- Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper
- In a large heatproof bowl, stir together the sugar, condensed milk and butter, with a generous pinch of salt.
- Heat the mixture on high in the microwave for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. It will bubble up as it cooks to roughly double its size, but keep an eye on it to ensure it does not bubble over the sides.
- Add the vanilla and liqueur to the mixture and whisk together. Heat on high for another 2 minutes.
- The mixture should be caramel-coloured and thick. Scrape it into the prepared tin and set aside for about an hour until cool and firm. Slice into small squares or rectangles.
Fudge will keep in an airtight container for three weeks.