Holiday Baking: Three Easy Crowd-Pleasers

When vacationing on the peaceful oasis of Bald Head Island, the last thing you want to worry about is what you’re going to feed everyone at mealtime. While some houses can accommodate large baking sessions - like this one with two ovens - we want you to spend your time this holiday season where it really counts, with the ones you love. 

So here are three tested, kid-approved recipes that are a cinch to make, and even easier to clean up. Enjoy!

 

1.Breakfast

 

Sausage, egg, and cheese casserole

A tradition for one Bald Head Island family is to make a sausage egg and cheese casserole (similar to this one) every year in preparation of the holidays. It’s easy to prepare, and even easier to freeze until you’re ready to eat; for this family, that’s every year on Christmas morning. 

The recipe is a hit for many reasons - with the Pillsbury crescent roll crust lending a buttery, crispy base to a simple, classic American breakfast filling - it’s sure to please the whole family.  If making ahead, follow these three steps up until it’s time to go in the oven, and then freeze until you’re ready to eat. 

1. Cook 1 lb breakfast sausage in skillet and set aside
2. Roll out package of crescent rolls and lay on bottom of buttered, glass Pyrex dish
3. Pour in sausage, 6 eggs, 2 cups of cheese, and oregano over crescent roll base
4. Wrap with foil or saran wrap and place in freezer until ready to bake

 

On the morning you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes. Voila! 

 

2.Hor d'oeuvres

 

Baked brie with jam 

This “recipe” is so easy to make, it’s almost hard to call it a recipe. However, it’s such a crowd-pleasing dish that we couldn’t leave it off of our list. There are many ways to make this dish - sweet or savory - and we’ve included several variations to try at the end of the recipe. Be sure to give this one a try and let us know what you think!

1. Unwrap puff pastry (or crescent rolls) and roll out flat
2. Place round of brie cheese in center
3. Spread preserves (apricot is delicious!) over the top of the brie
4. Take corners of pastry and fold to top - enclosing the brie, as pictured
5. Brush top of pastry with egg wash and bake 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees

 

Enjoy with crackers of choice! 

Fun variations: Substitute preserves for habanero jelly for a spicy kick, mix in almonds or walnuts for a crunch, or leave off the jam completely and cover with fresh herbs (think rosemary) for a more savory combination! 

 

3.Dessert

 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

This classic holiday cookie is a favorite in so many homes for a very good reason. It’s delicious! While there are many variations of chocolate crinkle cookie recipes out there, we’ve found one that never misses the mark. This Betty Crocker recipe combines flour, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs to create the perfectly chewy cookie. 

The vanilla makes a big difference in flavor so make sure you use one of good quality, and be sure to leave plenty of time to chill the dough in the refrigerator - as this step is essential in making the cookies ‘crinkle’. Up until resting the dough, this recipe takes five minutes to throw together, and ends up serving 50+ cookies.

With such a high ratio of effort to reward, it’s always a winner in our books for sure! 

 

To book a holiday house perfect for your needs, take a look at our open houses here!  

Published on Monday, December 21, 2015