You know those sunny bright pictures of families or friends crowded together in a kitchen filled with heaps of vegetables and baskets laden with fresh-baked bread and someone is at the sink and three people are by the stove harmoniously stirring or prepping, laughing, tasting, as the golden sun streams through the window, and maybe even a dog looking hopeful yet obedient just on the edge of the frame?
I look at those pictures and see all my failings because I don’t like to cook with a crowd, I don’t like stepping around someone to reach the sink, or having to gently nudge a lookie loo staring into a pan on the stovetop out of the way just to open the oven door. In my kitchen I like to be left alone. I love you, let me prep in silence, talk amongst yourselves while sitting over there. The thing I miss most about the open kitchen in our old loft was the ability to be apart and together, there was an island.
That’s what I thought six months ago but then my father died and I really was cooking alone most of the time. There was an island but it was just me and the wide open sea and one palm tree made of comfort food. And it wasn’t much fun.
All of this has absolutely nothing to do with today’s recipe. But I’ve been thinking about community this week and how important it is and struggling with my recent tendencies to hide away but knowing that even though pride parades tend to make me cry (the proud parents do me in every time) this year of all years I need to go and support my friends who feel so hurt and vulnerable. And so it does have to do with recipes, because all the best recipes are acts of nourishment and love. And as imperfectly annoying as family meals can be sucking it up and sharing the stove top is still better than a lonely trip through the drive-through.
I realized as I was writing this out the striking similarity between my savory french toast muffins (whew, that’s a mouth full) and my sister’s strata that she makes, two or three giant sheet pans worth, for our family reunions (there are 35-50 of us on any given day of the week long reunion). So some of you might find this familiar, and call it by a much shorter name.
All the best breakfast together in one bite. Make this in one pan, just bake it for 45-50 minutes, and share it with a crowd. Or make the muffins and dole them out as you see fit.
Savory French Toast Muffins
ingredients
- 8 cups cubed bread, slightly stale is best- I used homemade ciabatta that was just starting to dry out.
- 1/4 cup minced shallots – any sort of onion would work, yellow, white, red, scallions even.
- 2 cups cooked sausage bits roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch square- what sort of sausage? well…I used what I had in the freezer, chicken garlic and basil sausage from the local market. The rest of the ingredients are neutral enough that the choice is up to you.
- 1 cup finely cut greens-kale, spinach, arugula.
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheese- I used a medium white cheddar but sharp would work too.
- 1 cup european yogurt or plain kefir
- 1 cup milk
- ground black pepper or paprika to taste
directions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Prepare a muffin pan by generously buttering or spraying with non-stick spray.
- Cook the sausage until just browned, adding the shallots about midway through the cooking process. If you use a pork sausage you may need to pour off any excess dripping at this point. Add the greens and combine until the greens just begin to wilt and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile cube the bread and set aside.
- While the sausage mixture is cooling whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and cheese in a large bowl. Add the cooled sausage mixture to the egg mixture and throughly combine.
- Add the bread and mix gently, I fold it all into together like adding egg whites to a chocolate mousse. Let stand for 5-15 minutes. Scoop 1/4 cup of the bread mixture into each tins, slightly pressing down if necessary. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of smoked paprika.
- At this point you can toss the muffins in the refrigerator and bake them off in the morning or…
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Allow muffins to cool for at least five minutes before gently removing from tins and serve immediately or do like I did and dole them out slowly throughout the week, reheating at 400 for about ten minutes until just warm throughout. They aren’t bad cold either.
Savory French Toast Muffins
Ingredients
- 8 cups cubed bread slightly stale is best- I used homemade ciabatta that was just starting to dry out.
- 1/4 cup minced shallots - any sort of onion would work yellow, white, red, scallions even.
- 2 cups cooked sausage bits roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch square- what sort of sausage? well…I used what I had in the freezer chicken garlic and basil sausage from the local market. The rest of the ingredients are neutral enough that the choice is up to you.
- 1 cup finely cut greens-kale spinach, arugula.
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheese- I used a medium white cheddar but sharp would work too.
- 1 cup european yogurt or plain kefir
- 1 cup milk
- ground black pepper or paprika to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare a muffin pan by generously buttering or spraying with non-stick spray.
- Cook the sausage until just browned, adding the shallots about midway through the cooking process. If you use a pork sausage you may need to pour off any excess dripping at this point. Add the greens and combine until the greens just begin to wilt and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile cube the bread and set aside.
- While the sausage mixture is cooling whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and cheese in a large bowl. Add the cooled sausage mixture to the egg mixture and throughly combine.
- Add the bread and mix gently, I fold it all into together like adding egg whites to a chocolate mousse. Let stand for 5-15 minutes. Scoop 1/4 cup of the bread mixture into each tins, slightly pressing down if necessary. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of smoked paprika.
- At this point you can toss the muffins in the refrigerator and bake them off in the morning or…
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Allow muffins to cool for at least five minutes before gently removing from tins and serve immediately or do like I did and dole them out slowly throughout the week, reheating at 400 for about ten minutes until just warm throughout. They aren’t bad cold either.
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