When our little family of four moved back to Langley from the Kootenays, it was a wonderful thing at Christmas time because it meant that both Heather’s and my families could celebrate together.
It made for a lot of people in the house, though, and discovering a few delicious recipes really made feeding our whole crew a little easier on Christmas morning. He shares a few of his mother Jackie’s breakfast solutions, and some ideas for the festive Christmas dinner.
from Jhim Burwell, director Township of Langley Firefighters’ Charitable Society
French Toast Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients:
• 1 loaf French bread cut into 1 inch slices
• 8 large eggs
• small onion, sliced
• 2 cups half & half cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Dash of salt
Directions:
• Butter the casserole dish
• Arrange bread in the bottom, two layers deep
• Mix other ingredients well in mixing bowl, pour over bread
• Sauté onion, spread on top of the casserole and cover
• Let stand overnight
• Bake for approximately 1 hour in the morning at 350 F
• Serve with maple syrup
Yorkies by Heather Burwell
“Since we started hosting big family Christmas dinners, Heather had been searching for the perfect Yorkshire pudding recipe to go with the turkey...” We’ve included a couple of other recipes that these Yorkshire delights complement nicely at any time of year.
Ingredients:
• 4 eggs ( will make about 12 Yorkies )
• Equal volume milk to eggs
• Equal amount flour to eggs
• Pinch of salt
• Vegetable oil
Directions:
• Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl and leave rest for 30 minutes.
• Add milk & salt into egg and mix with electric hand beater or hand whisk.
• Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Gradually sieve flour into the milk & egg mixture, whisking into a lump free batter.
• Leave batter to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 450°F.
• Put enough oil in the bottom of each hole of the Yorkshire pudding tin, and heat in the oven until the fat begins smoking.
• Fill a third of each section of the tin with batter and return quickly to the oven.
• Leave to cook until golden brown and do not open until they are ready to take out and serve.
Roasted potatoes by the Burwells
Ingredients:
• 1 potato per person
• 1 tbsp of olive oil per potato
• 1 tsp of roasted pepper and garlic seasoning per potato
Directions:
• Cut potatoes into chunks approximately the size of the end of your thumb.
• Throw in boiling water.
• Drain potatoes once water starts boiling again.
• Mix 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp of roasted pepper and garlic seasoning per potato in pot.
• Return potatoes to pot coat evenly with oil and seasoning mix.
• Spread potatoes on parchment paper on baking sheet.
• 250 F for one hour to an hour and a half, turning every 15 minutes until desired crispness.
Burwells roast chicken
Ingredients:
• 2 roasting chickens
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tbsp roasted pepper and garlic
• 2 onions, quartered
Directions:
• In a small bowl mix salt, paprika, thyme and roasted pepper & garlic powder.
• Remove innards from chicken and rinse chicken cavity with running water.
• Rub chickens inside and out with spice mixture.
• Place 1 quartered onion into the cavity of each chicken, put chickens in a roasting pan, and let sit until room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Bake uncovered for 1 hour, to a minimum internal temperature of 180F and let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.
Overnight Breakfast casserole byJhim Burwell's mother Jackie Burwell
Ingredients:
• 6 slices French bread, toasted and cubed
• 1 lb breakfast sausage cooked
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper
Directions:
• Arrange bread cubes in buttered casserole dish.
• Cook sausage and arrange over bread.
• Sprinkle cheese over bread and sausage.
• Beat eggs, add milk, mustard, salt & pepper and mix well.
• Pour over bread and cover.
• Let sit overnight.
• In the morning, bake for 1 hour at 350F.