For the last couple of years I have hosted a brunch at my house after the sunrise (6:30 am to be exact!) Easter church service. It is always kind of fun having a large group of people over. My apartment isn't all that big and squeezing 15-20 people into it makes for a "lively" time! I made two egg casseroles, one with ham and cheddar and the other vegetarian with spinach and mushrooms, sourdough biscuits with sausage gravy, (or honey/cinnamon butter and jam for the non-meat eaters) fruit salad and cinnamon rolls. The food was delicious and I definitely ate more than I intended to! It has been about seven hours since I ate and I think I am still digesting!!! Anyway, I will post the recipes for those who might want them.

If you make anything, make these cinnamon rolls. Not to toot my own horn, but they were TO DIE FOR!!! By far, the best cinnamon roll recipe ever! I actually added a hint of coffee and maple to the frosting based on the suggestion of The Pioneer Woman and it really gave them something extra. I will definitely do this from now on! The great thing about this recipe (and all of these recipes, actually, is that they can be made the night before which makes the morning prep work next to nothing)

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 cup milk
⅓ cup butter
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
½ cup white sugar
4½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup softened butter
Glaze:
½ lb. (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
⅛ tsp. maple flavoring
¼ cup whole milk
⅛ cup melted butter
4 Tbs. brewed coffee
1 pinch of salt

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (my dough didn't look like it really rose at all but it was just fine so don't panic if your dough looks pretty much the same an hour later)
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly brush the far edge with water. In a small bowl make the filling by mixing the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to make a paste.
Spread a layer of filling on the dough. Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam.
Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Using a knife will squish the dough. I use a piece of string instead. You just slide the string until the roll of dough and cross the ends over each other and pull the string across. With this method you end up with perfectly round rolls. (I am sure it would be helpful to see this but I didn't take a picture because, quite frankly, I only have two hands, what do you expect, people? I am doing my best!) Place the pieces in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Brush the tops and the sides of the rolls with melted butter.
Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.
Meanwhile, make the glaze; and set aside.

Glaze over the rolls when they have been out of the oven for 5-10 minutes. I basically dropped a heaping spoonful of frosting on each roll and let it melt and spread. I took a spatula and ran it between each roll to make sure the glaze oozed down into all the nooks and crannies.
Then serve! These are best eaten within about an hour of making them.

Ok, next up are the Sourdough Biscuits. My mom actually FedEx'ed me a sourdough starter this week which is awesome, since I didn't have one. (If anyone wants some starter, let me know, I am happy to share) These biscuits were good but I have to say, biscuits are a little tricky! I have yet to perfect them. You have to be really careful when you are handling the dough. If you over-work it, the biscuits won't be very light and flaky. You also want to make sure you roll the dough to be about 3/4" to 1" thick. Mine were a little too thin for my liking. No matter, this is a good recipe and I will just have to practice it a few more times.

Sourdough Biscuits:

1½ cups sourdough starter
2½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup butter
½ cup buttermilk

Let all ingredients except for the butter come to room temperature. . Put the flour in a warm bowl. Add salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour.
When the particles are about the size of cornmeal, stir in the sourdough starter and the buttermilk and stir until thoroughly moistened. The dough will be very soft.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured breadboard and knead for about 30 seconds. Roll out the dough until it is about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits. DO NOT twist while cutting, it will make the biscuits unable to rise well. (you'll note that mine are a little on the thin side)

Place the biscuits close together on a cookie sheet and put in a warm place for 30 minutes for proofing. Brush the tops with melted butter.
Put the cookie sheet in a preheated 450° oven for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

And what would biscuits be without gravy? Sausage gravy is pretty basic but this one turned out well so here is the recipe.

Sausage Gravy:

1 pound breakfast sausage
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned. Stir in flour until dissolved. Gradually stir in milk. Cook gravy until thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot over biscuits.

Ok, last but not least, we have the breakfast casseroles. I prefer the ham and cheese one. I think it has more flavor. The spinach and mushroom one needs a bit more kick I think. Feel free to experiment with it and if you find a good add-in, let me know!

Ham and cheese egg casserole:

4 c. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 c. cubed fully cooked ham

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

½ c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

¼ t. pepper

Mix together all ingredients and pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish.Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour (mine actually took 1 hour and 15 minutes) or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Spinach and mushroom egg casserole:

4 c. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 small bunch spinach

4 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese

6 eggs

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Saute’ the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Add mushrooms and asparagus and saute’ until the vegetables are somewhat soft. Mix together the hash browns, saute’d vegetables, spinach and cheese. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and pepper; pour over the potato mixture. Pour mixture into a greased 8-in. square baking dish, Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Uncooked: