Swiss Potato Casserole

Swiss Potato Casserole

Serve this thyme-flavored, ham, potato, and egg breakfast casserole for brunch or dinner with fresh fruit and juice. 
Ingredients:

Ingredient Checklist

1 pound tiny new potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
⅓ cup thinly sliced leek
Nonstick cooking spray
¾ cup chopped cooked ham
3 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, cut into small  pieces
1 ¼ cups fat-free milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a covered large saucepan, cook sliced potatoes in a small amount of boiling, lightly salted water about 10 minutes or just until tender, adding the leek the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain potato mixture.

Coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Place potato mixture in bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the ham and Swiss cheese.

In a medium bowl stir the milk into the flour until smooth. Stir in the egg product, thyme, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over potato mixture.

Bake in a 350° oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serve immediately.  Serves 6.

Christmas Bread

Christmas Bread

A Midwest Christmas Tradition

The four layers of the braided dough stand for the four seasons. Nuts and raisins stand for the type of year-mostly nuts represent a good year for farmers and mostly raisins represent a fair year. The youngest boy takes the crust of last year's bread to feed the birds representing God's creatures. A crust from the new bread is saved till next year representing there will always be bread in this home.

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/3 cups milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

5 1/3 to 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped black walnuts or walnuts

3/4 cup raisins

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

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Powdered Sugar Icing

Mix 1 cup confectioners sugar

1 Tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time for a drizzling quality

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Directions:

In a large bowl, mix warm water and yeast; let stand 5 minutes to soften yeast.

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In a medium saucepan, heat and stir milk, sugar and salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees). Add to yeast mixture; stir in egg. Using wooden spoon, stir in 2 cups of flour, the nuts and raisins. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can with the spoon.

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Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Knead in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic(6 to 8 minutes total) Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let raise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 to 1 1/4 hours).

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Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile grease a large baking sheet. Roll dough into a 12 x 10 inch rectangle. Cut dough crosswise into 12 one-inch wide strips. On the prepared baking sheet, twist and weave 5 of the strips together pinching the ends and tucking them under the strips. Twist and weave four more of the strips together and place on top of the first layer. Braid the remaining 3 strips and make two more layers. Twist 2 together to place on the second layer. Twist the last strip and place it on top of the third layer. Push in four wooden or metal skewers from top to secure layers.

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Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 45 minutes) Bake in 325 oven 40 to 45 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove skewers after bread set. Cool bread on wire rack. Drizzle with icing.

This is a recipe taken from the magazine Midwest Living.