Fiesta Breakfast Casserole

This recipe is my sister's go-to recipe for entertaining and special occasions.  Vicky Scalzitti Romano loves that it goes together quickly the night before, and it bakes up the day you need it. And I heard her exclaim: 'It's perfect for Christmas morning!' because the cooking time is true, and it will hold up nicely for an hour or two. Here's the interesting back story: years ago, when confronted with feeding her daughter's entire swim team, Vicky found this recipe on the jar of the leftover bottle of 'Pace' salsa.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage (use 'hot' if you like things that are spicy)
6    cups white bread, cut into cubes (stale is actually better)
1  1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1  cup salsa or 1 cup diced tomatoes
4  eggs
3/4 cup whole milk

METHOD

Cook sausage until browned.  Pour off fat.

Arrange cooked sausage evenly on the bottom of a 2 qt shallow baking dish.  Top with bread cubes, then sprinkle cheese over the bread.  In a separate bowl, mix up eggs and milk, then add the salsa.  Pour this mixture evenly over all.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for two hours.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. Serve with sour cream, green onions, hot sauce, and additional salsa.

Serves 6.

Printable version of Fiesta Breakfast Casserole

Cranberry Harvest Relish

My mom, Donna Gigliotti Scalzitti, first came across this recipe many years ago in a popular women's magazine. She said it caught her eye because the ingredients were simple, and the steps were easy to do. The family looks forward to it every Thanksgiving, especially Phil, her brother, and Bill, her brother-in-law. The cool tartness of this salad is refreshing alongside the traditional favorites.

1  1/4 cup water, divided
1  6 oz package of Strawberry Jell-O
1  cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used fresh, Mom uses the bottled kind)
16 oz cranberries (about 1 1/2 bags fresh, frozen are ok, too)
1  medium unpeeled orange, seeded and quartered
1  tart apple, diced (such as granny smith)
1  cup celery, diced
1  cups walnuts, diced

Method: In a non-reactive saucepan, bring one cup of water to a boil.  Remove from heat, then add the gelatin and sugar until they dissolve completely. Also add the 1/2 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup of water. Place saucepan in refrigerator. Chill slightly while preparing remaining ingredients. It will take between 30 minutes and two hours to partially set this mixture, depending on how cold your fridge is.

Using a blender or food processor, chop up cranberries and orange segments.  Work in small batches until they are finely diced.  

Place these ingredients in an attractive glass serving bowl. Stir in diced apple, celery, and walnuts.  Fold in refrigerated gelatin mixture when it is about half way set.  Refrigerate overnight, or four hours, until completely set.

Printable version Cranberry Harvest Relish

Pizzelles



PIZZELLES  (pits zelz')  are a delicious Italian cookie prepared with a special pizzelle iron, similar to a waffle iron. Served at celebrations for centuries, the cookies are made by spooning batter onto the iron, pressing down on a handle, and cooking them two (or four) at a time. 



Historically, the large irons had a family crest or symbol on them. Two to three foot iron handles protected the cook as the platens were held directly in the fire.  Here are two examples of patterns: 

Grandma Aduccia's courtesy of Marcy Plonski








Peppina Miraldi's courtesy of Al Harsar



Recipe secrets were guarded very closely.  During World War II, women developed a complex system of re-working the pattern of their rosary beads so the ingredients and quantities could be communicated and the soldiers holding them captive would never suspect that more whiskey was needed.  This is completely untrue.  Most pizzelle recipes are very similar, and the only real variation is the quantity of flavoring (vanilla vs anise or lemon, for example.) Wish I could tell you an interesting story about the following recipe from my mother, but the simple truth is that she used the recipe that came on the box when she bought the pizzelle iron.  Oh.  Except that she substituted whiskey for the anise, as her mother had before her. Todays electric irons will ensure that pizzelles continue to make an appearance at Baptisms, birthday parties, graduations and koffee klatches. This recipe yields 36 pizzelles.

Recipe:

3    Eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1    teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (one stick) margarine, melted and cooled

1  tablespoon whiskey

pinch of salt

Method:  Using a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until well-combined.  Stir in the cooled margarine, vanilla extract, and whiskey. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Batter will be quite thick.

Pizzelle iron must be hot when starting to make the cookies.  Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

When the iron is ready, drop one generous spoonful on the center of each platen. Close lid and fasten handle. Steam will rise-this is fine.  Pizzelles will cook in the iron for about 30-60 seconds.  You will get to know your iron, and it will become a mystical, spiritual  experience-you'll just know when they're done. (Actually, my dad used to pull them when the steam stopped) Carefully raise the handle.  Using a non-stick heat-safe spatula (or a cheap fork) gently remove each pizzelle and place onto a cooling rack.  Pizzelles will crisp up as they cool.

                                          

Marinara Sauce or 'Red Sauce'

MARINARA  (ma ree na' ra) sauce is the cornerstone of every pasta dish.  Every Italian family has its own version, and everyone thinks their family has the best one.  My Grandma Delfina would make hers every Sunday morning, right after she walked home from early Mass.  What a memory; waking up to the aroma of her sauce wafting through the cozy, well-kept house on 9th Street.  Baci Cari a te, Nonna.
Zia ('Aunt') Elia generously shared with me how she makes her sauce, and here is her recipe.  Though I love remembering my grandma and her sauce, I never got to watch her make it-she got up too early.  :)

Ingredients-Recipe will make 8 servings-enough for a nice Sunday dinner for 4-6 people
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can Dei Fratelli Crushed tomatoes (or organic)
1 10 oz can Dei Fratelli Sauce (or organic)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon basil
pinch of crushed red peppers (optional)
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste ( I used 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper)

Using the chop-o-matic tool (see photo-thanks for the great gift, Em), dice/chop onion very fine. 'So no one knows it's there', says Zia Elia.

Heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy stock pot.  Add finely diced onion, and season with half of the salt and pepper.  Cook onions until soft, but DO NOT BROWN.  Add garlic, and cook for one minute or less.  Again, DO NOT BROWN.  Garlic will quickly turn bitter if it's overcooked.

Add full can of tomatoes and full can of sauce.  Fill the empty 10 oz can of sauce up half way with tap water.  Swish to get all remaining sauce out of can.  Pour this into empty can  of crushed tomatoes.  Swish to get all of these tomatoes out.  Pour this liquid into stock pot.

Sprinkle in parsley, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper.  Adjust heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the two teaspoons of sugar, and simmer for one more hour, or up to two more hours, lowering heat if necessary.  Serve over your favorite pasta.

Marinara Sauce PRINTABLE recipe