Menu Wednesday #11

Today's menu will be a big help to anyone looking for a quick and delicious meal for the hectic week before Christmas, an easy breakfast for holiday company, a perfect brunch for effortless entertaining, or a make ahead breakfast for Christmas morning. Both of these recipes are easy to make, store and reheat so they give a lot of flexibility during the busy holiday season. I like to make at least two quiches, one rather plain and one loaded up with vegetables and a little meat. Go ahead and freeze one or two after baking, then just thaw and reheat whenever you need something on the spur of the moment. The Hot Fruit Casserole makes a generous amount, so even if you need two quiches to serve more than six people, you'll probably only need one batch of fruit. Some muffins or rolls might be a nice addition to the menu, but I've left the decision to you about homemade or store bought completely to your discretion. I always think of this quiche and fruit menu for the Christmas holidays, and then wonder why I don't make it more often. Maybe I will now that it's in the Menu Wednesday archive!

QUICHE – recipe for one 9-inch
1 refrigerator pie crust round
1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
OR any vegetable, meat or seafood
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. cubed Swiss cheese
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 c. grated Swiss cheese
3 eggs
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust in a quiche pan or a pie plate. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork; bake for 5 minutes. Remove crust to cool. Sauté mushrooms (and optional vegetables and/or meats) in butter; spread over crust. Place cubed Swiss cheese over mushrooms. Scald half & half and cool slightly; add grated cheese. In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork until blended. Add wine, salt, and nutmeg to eggs and blend. Add egg mixture slowly to half & half mixture and stir to mix. Place quiche pan on a baking sheet. Pour egg mixture into crust, taking care not to over fill. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and set in the middle. Remove and serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers to reheat.

GAYLE WICKER’S HOT FRUIT CASSEROLE
1 can pear halves
1 can sliced peaches
1 can white or Queen Anne cherries
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can apricot halves
1 whole orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. golden raisins
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
3/4 c. fruit juice
1/2 c. sherry
1 tsp. curry powder - optional

Drain fruits and reserve juices. Mix pears, peaches, cherries, pineapple, apricots and oranges in a large bowl. Soak raisins in boiling water for about 10 minutes and drain; add to fruit. Add sugar, and salt to butter and flour and blend. Add fruit juice to sugar mixture and stir to blend. Cook over low heat to thicken. Cool and add 1/2 c. sherry. Pour over mixed fruit. Stir in curry powder, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Pour into casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Can be divided into two casserole dishes and frozen before baking. This is an excellent dish for brunches, holiday meals, or anytime. Feel free to use only fruits you like or have on hand.

SHOPPING LIST FOR Menu Wednesday #11
Quiche
Gayle Wicker's Hot Fruit Casserole
Muffins (or other breads or rolls) your choice

Produce
Fresh mushrooms – 1 c.
Vegetables for quiche – (optional) your choice (fresh, frozen, canned, leftover) – broccoli, spinach, onion, pepper, asparagus, etc.
Orange - 1

Pantry
Salt
Freshly ground nutmeg
Canned pear halves – 1
Canned sliced peaches – 1
Canned cherries, white or Queen Anne – 1
Canned pineapple chunks – 1
Canned apricot halves – 1
Golden raisins – 1/2 c.
Sugar 3/4 c.
Flour – 3 tbsp.
Curry powder – 1 tsp. (optional)

Meats
Meat for quiche – (optional) your choice of bacon, sausage, crab meat, ham, etc.

Dairy
1 unbaked rolled pie crust
butter – 1 stick
Swiss cheese – 16 oz.
Half & half – 1 1/2 c.
Eggs - 3

Miscellaneous
Dry white wine – 1/4 c.
Sherry (not cooking sherry!) – 1/2 c.

Bakery
Muffins, rolls, coffee cake, Danish, donuts of your choice