"Ham & Cheese Strata" ~ A Mother's Day Recipe!

Mother's Day is quickly approaching... and what better way to show your love to Mom than to cook something really special for her! We'd like to share one of our favorite breakfast recipes here at the Apple Bin Inn... our Ham & Cheese Strata.  It's a warm and cozy breakfast dish that's just perfect for Mom's special day. We hope your family enjoys it as much as ours!



Ingredients:

8 slices of white bread                                

1 lb baked ham, thinly sliced or shaved      

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese       

6 eggs

2 cups milk    

½ tsp onion salt

½ tsp dry mustard

4 tbsp butter                                               

3 cups cornflakes

 

Night before:

• Cut the bread and ham into bite sized pieces.
• Break eggs into medium sized mixing bowl and whisk well. 
• Whisk in milk, onion salt, and mustard.
• Spray a 13 x 9” glass baking dish with Pam. 
• Scatter the pieces of bread evenly in the dish. 
• Scatter the ham pieces, then the cheese, evenly over the bread. 
• Pour the egg mixture over the bread/ham/cheese. 
• Cover with foil and refrigerate for 8 hours (overnight). 

In the morning:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Crush the cornflakes into crumbs. 
• Melt butter, add it to crumbs, and mix well.  Sprinkle evenly over strata. 
• Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned on top and eggs are set (about 45 min.) 
• Let the strata rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
• Serves 6 to 10.  Enjoy!

 

Mount Vernon Bread Pudding... Yum!

Winter is such a good time to share recipes... especially ones that are heart-warming and sweet!  So we'd like to share a recipe that we obtained while enjoying lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn several years ago.  It's appropriately named Mount Vernon Bread Pudding, and with the original GW's birthday just behind us, it seems fitting to share it with you now.  As lovers of bread pudding, we've eaten them at many fine restaurants and tried many recipes, but this one is by far the most delicious one we've found.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do here at the Apple Bin Inn! 

Ingredients:

4 cups French bread cubes

½ cup raisins (optional)

3 tbsp melted butter

8 eggs 

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp salt

⅔ cup sugar

3 cups Half & Half

1½ tsp vanilla

whipped cream (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange bread cubes and raisins in buttered 3 qt. baking dish, and drizzle with butter.

Combine eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and beat slightly.

Dissolve sugar in Half & Half, and add to eggs in a fine stream, stirring constantly.

Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture evenly over bread cubes, and bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes,

or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

May be served warm or chilled... plain or with whipped cream.  Enjoy!

A Special Recipe for Mother's Day!

As Mother's Day arrives this weekend, it's once again time to think about that person we too often take for granted... Mom!  So why not turn the tables this weekend and cook her a special breakfast... ideally served in bed, with a rose bud and an extra hug!  
And we have just the recipe that will warm her heart and bring a loving smile to her face... our scrumptious Apple Cheddar Quiche.  Based on a recipe from Captain Schoonmaker's B&B in High Falls, NY, it has become a favorite of our guests here at the Apple Bin Inn, and we know your Mom will feel pampered when you serve it to her!

 

Apple Cheddar Quiche at the Apple Bin Inn

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust                                                    

2 large apples                                                             
¼ cup sugar                                                                
Cinnamon to taste

6 eggs  

1 cup Half & Half

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese           

-  Preheat oven to 350^o F. 

-  Peel, core, and slice apples.  Sauté in butter.  Halfway through, add cinnamon and sugar,

and continue cooking until apples are fork tender.

-  Place unbaked pie crust in quiche pan.

-  Place cooked apples on the bottom. Cover with cheese.  Beat eggs and Half & Half together and pour over apples and cheese.  Swirl any syrup left from the apples over the top before baking (you can also save a few apple slices to place on top). 

-  Bake 40 to 50 minutes until filling is set.  Cut like pie, and serve with sausage or bacon.  

Complete her plate with a sprig of mint leaves or grapes.

Accompany with a small bowl of fresh strawberries with french vanilla yogurt and brown sugar,

along with orange juice, and coffee or tea, and Mom will smile for days! 

Warm wishes for a Happy Mother's Day,

from our family to yours!

Delicious Winter Recipes!

With the slower pace of activity in Lancaster County during the winter, it seems a perfect time to talk about one of our favorite subjects... food!  Some recipes just seem ideally suited for these cold winter mornings, so we thought we'd share a couple of our guests' favorites here at the Apple Bin Inn.

Our "Pecan Caramel Baked Apples" have become one of our most requested recipes.  Why not make them a warm and cozy start to a special breakfast at your house...

INGREDIENTS:

Apples:                                                                       

4 Rome apples of equal size (Gala, Stayman, and Cortland apples also work well)

Butter, unsalted

Cinnamon

Topping:                                                                                  

8 heaping tbsp light brown sugar 

20 pecan halves, coarsely chopped

2 tsp golden raisins (optional) 

½ tsp cinnamon

dash of pumpkin pie spice (important)

3 tbsp Half & Half

Heavy whipping cream

Core and peel apples, leaving a ring of skin around the bottom quarter of each apple.

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each apple (so they don't roll) and place apples in glass baking dish.

Into each core hole, place a thick pat of butter and a dash of cinnamon.

Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and poke several air holes.

Microwave apples on high setting for 1½  minutes.  Flip each apple upside down and microwave for 1 minute.

Turn apples right-side-up, and if necessary microwave extra time to reach the desired softness (poke with fork to test).  Note: Microwaves vary, so experiment with cooking times to achieve the apple softness you desire.

Combine topping ingredients (except the heavy whipping cream) in a small saucepan.

Heat on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved, then set on low to avoid burning.  Topping should be thick & syrupy. 

Place each apple into a dessert bowl, and spoon a generous amount of topping over each apple (try to avoid the core hole).

Fill each core hole with heavy whipping cream.  Serve hot, and bask in the glow of your family's smiles!

Our next recipe is "Baked Deep-Dish Strawberry French Toast".  A cross between french toast and bread pudding, it's an absolutely delicious winter breakfast!

Ingredients:  

16 oz loaf of French bread, cubed into ½” cubes

6 oz cream cheese (¾ of an 8 oz package), cubed into ½” cubes

6 large eggs

1 qt Half & Half

½ cup butter, melted

¼ cup maple syrup

   

Topping:   

16 oz fresh sliced strawberries (frozen sliced strawberries may be substituted)

10 oz strawberry jam

Arrange half of the cubed bread in a lightly greased, deep 9 x 13” pan. 

Sprinkle with cubed cream cheese, and cover with remaining bread cubes.

Whisk together eggs, Half & Half, butter, and maple syrup. 

Pour evenly over the bread cubes, making sure they all absorb the egg mixture.

Cover with foil and refrigerate for 8 hours (over night).

   

In the morning, keep foil in place and Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

While french toast is baking, combine and heat topping ingredients in a saucepan.

Cut french toast into 8–10 servings.  Plate each serving, then ladle heated topping generously over each serving.  Goes great with your favorite sausage.  Enjoy!