Recipes to Sleep On

by Jean Kressy

A cookbook with recipes for Cody Cowgirl Casserole and Blueberry Crumb Cake is worth owning. Add another 150 or so recipes, all of which can be prepared ahead, popped into the refrigerator overnight and served the next day, and you have a culinary gold mine. Sleep On It, written by Carol Gordon when she was owner of Nantucket House of Chatham, a bed-and-breakfast inn on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, is that kind of book.

When Gordon and her husband bought the inn in 1999, they hadn’t a clue about what it takes to be innkeepers. “But we always liked to entertain and figured, how hard could it be?” Gordon says. As it turned out, it wasn’t easy, especially because Gordon had to get up at the crack of dawn to cook breakfast.

She reached out to innkeepers all over the nation for recipes that could be made ahead and easily finished the next day. What emerged was a collection of recipes, including appetizers, breakfasts, brunches, dinners and desserts, that she turned into a book.

Sleep On It is more than a collection of pancakes and egg-based casseroles. The book, in its fourth printing, has almost a dozen variations of French toast, including one with spiced pears and another baked like an upside-down cake. Brunch dishes, such as a quiche featuring smoked haddock, leeks and Gruyère cheese, tend to be more substantial. Every recipe is introduced with an anecdote from its contributor.

Here American Profile presents four overnight recipes from Gordon’s book.

“Take it from someone who has served well more than 1,800 breakfasts,” Gordon says. “I find if a recipe is fun for me to prepare, the guests enjoy it even more.”

NOTE: The American Egg Board recommends cooking egg dishes until they reach an internal temperature of 160F.

Cody Cowgirl Casserole
“Because Cody, Wyo., is a true Western town and the home of Buffalo Bill, our guests have given Wild West names to many of our favorite recipes. This hearty recipe will give any cowboy or cowgirl a good start to the day.”
—Wendy Evarts, The Victorian Bed and Breakfast, Cody, Wyo.

Vegetable oil or nonstick
cooking spray
1 pound bulk sausage, browned and drained
½ pound bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
12 ounces frozen hash brown
potatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped
green onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar
or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup reduced-fat Bisquick
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs

1. Oil a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish or spray it with cooking spray.
2. Combine sausage, bacon, hash browns, bell pepper, green onions and 1 cup cheese in a large bowl. Spread in baking pan.
3. Whisk together Bisquick, milk, salt and eggs until well blended. Pour over potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight (no longer than 24 hours).

The Next Day
4. Preheat oven to 375F. Remove dish from refrigerator.
5. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 12.

Nutrition facts per serving: 370 calories, 24g fat, 19g protein, 18g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 940mg sodium.

Ellie’s Sunday Strata
(This tasty dish appears on the cover)
“‘It’s never too late to be a cowgirl!’ My friend sent me that bumper sticker when she moved to Colorado. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late for us to have fun and try new adventures.”
—Carol Gordon, Nantucket House of Chatham Bed and Breakfast, South Chatham, Mass.

Cheese sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 cup shredded American cheese

Strata:
Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced lean ham or
Canadian bacon
¼ cup chopped green onions
12 eggs, beaten
¼ pound sliced mushrooms
¼ cup melted butter
2¼ cups 1-inch bread cubes
Paprika

1. To prepare the cheese sauce, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Add salt, pepper and cheese, stirring until mixture is smooth.
2. Oil a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish or coat it with cooking spray. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add ham and green onions and sauté until ham is lightly browned and onions are tender. Add eggs and cook over medium-high heat, stirring to form large soft curds. When eggs are set, stir in mushrooms and cheese sauce.
3. Spoon egg mixture into baking dish. Combine melted butter and bread cubes, mixing well; spread evenly over egg mixture. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The Next Day
4. Preheat oven to 350F and remove dish from refrigerator.
5. Bake strata, uncovered, about 30 minutes, until thoroughly heated and lightly browned on top. Serves 12.

Nutrition facts per serving: 160 calories, 19g fat, 14g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 450mg sodium.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
“Have another slice—think of blueberries’ antioxidant effect. This recipe is easy and a crowd-pleaser.”
—The Schramm House Bed & Breakfast, Burlington, Iowa

Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking
powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable
shortening
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups fresh or frozen
blueberries

Topping:
1 cup sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup butter, melted

1. Coat a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in shortening.
3. Combine milk and eggs; beat until mixed. Add to dry ingredients. Mix lightly. Fold in berries. Spread in pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The Next Day
4. Preheat oven to 375F.
5. To prepare the topping, combine sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl. Mix until crumbly. Spread over batter. Bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and topping is lightly browned. Serves 12.

Nutrition facts per serving: 310 calories, 13g fat, 4g protein, 47g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 240mg sodium.

Spiced Pear French Toast
“You can substitute 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup of brown sugar for the granulated sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup. Also try adding sliced fresh strawberries for color in with the pears. It’s delicious both ways.”
—The Heartstone Inn, Eureka Springs, Ark.

French Toast:
Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
1 (1-pound) loaf cinnamon
raisin bread, crusts removed
6 eggs
½ cup sugar
2½ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Pears:
1 tablespoon butter
2 firm-ripe Anjou pears, cored and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground
cinnamon
Dash of grated nutmeg
¼ cup maple syrup, plus additional for serving

1. To prepare the French toast, oil a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or coat it with cooking spray. Tear bread into small pieces and scatter in the pan evenly.
2. Whisk eggs and sugar together in a small bowl. Add milk and vanilla; whisk well. Pour over bread and press down with a spoon to make sure bread is submerged. Cover with foil, pressing gently so that foil is on the surface of bread. Refrigerate overnight.

The Next Day
3. Keeping foil on baking dish, slide pan into a cold oven. Turn oven to 350F. After 25 minutes, remove foil. Continue baking until toast is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.
4. To prepare the pears, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears; stir until pears are well coated. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Continue to cook until pears begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Pour in 1⁄4 cup maple syrup. Cook until bubbly. Remove from heat.
5. To serve, slice French toast into individual servings. Top with spiced pears. Serve with additional maple syrup if desired. Serves 12.

Nutrition facts per serving: 240 calories, 7g fat, 9g protein, 38g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 210mg sodium.