Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook Part 6

Place the finished pancakes on a plate, sprinkle artificial sweetener over the tops, and add sliced fruit of your choice.

FOR POOR MAN'S BLINTZES: Mix up the pancakes as directed and fry them. When they're done, spread each pancake with b.u.t.ter and sprinkle with sugar. Top with spoonful of jam, add a generous dollop of sour cream, and enjoy.

BREAKFAST OMELET.

Do not preheat the oven this breakfast dish needs to be refrigerated before it can be baked.

Hannah's 1st Note: I didn't have the heart to tell Mich.e.l.le that this dish wasn't technically an omelet. What's in a name anyway? It's like Shakespeare said, Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? or in this case, as savory?

1 and pounds skinless sausage links or breakfast

sausage patties

8 slices white bread (white, sourdough, French, country, etc.)

pound grated cheddar cheese (the sharper the cheddar,

the better)

cup grated onion

cup finely chopped green peppers

6 eggs

teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

cup half-and-half, or cream

1 Tablespoon prepared mustard (I used stone ground)

1 can (10 and ounces) condensed cream of mushroom

soup, undiluted

cup sherry6

1 can (5 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained

Spray the inside of a 2-quart ca.s.serole dish with Pam or other nonstick cooking spray. A 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan will also work well for this recipe.

Cut the sausage links into thirds and saute them over medium heat on the stovetop until they're lightly browned. If you used patties instead of links, cut each one into four parts and saute them until they're lightly browned.

While your sausage is browning, cut the crusts from the slices of bread. (You can either save the crusts to feed to the birds, or throw them away, your choice.) Cut the remaining bread into one-inch cubes. Toss them into the bottom of your ca.s.serole or cake pan.

Drain the fat from your sausage. Put the drained sausage on top of the bread cubes in the ca.s.serole. (Mother used to save the fat from sausage or bacon for Dad he used it for frying eggs when he had one of his poker nights.) Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the sausage.

Sprinkle the grated onions over the cheese.

Sprinkle the chopped green peppers on top of the onions.

Whisk the eggs with the salt, milk, half-and-half or cream, and prepared mustard in a bowl by hand, or beat them with an electric mixer.

Pour the egg mixture over the top of the ca.s.serole, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

(Mich.e.l.le says that now you can sleep soundly because you know you've got breakfast almost ready to go in the morning.) The next morning, 2 hours before you want to serve breakfast: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Take the ca.s.serole from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Place it on a baking sheet with sides, if you have it. A jellyroll pan will work beautifully.

Mix the condensed cream of mushroom soup, the sherry (or equivalent), and the drained sliced mushrooms in a mixing bowl.

Pour the mushroom mixture over the top of the ca.s.serole.

Bake the ca.s.serole for 1 hours at 350 degrees F.

Remove the ca.s.serole from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes to set up before serving.

Hannah's 2nd Note: Mich.e.l.le told me that she once used some of her roommate's leftover champagne instead of the sherry and it was really good. I didn't ask her how her underage roommate got the champagne in the first place.

FUNERAL HOTDISH (ANNIVERSARY HOTDISH).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

OR.

Use an 18-quart electric roaster set to 350 degrees F.

Recipe courtesy of Joyce and the Swanville Funeral Committee Hannah's 1st Note: Joyce says this is easiest with three people helping: one person to chop and saute the celery and onions, one person to brown the hamburger, and one person to cook the pasta and mix the sauce.

Start by spraying the inside of your pan or the electric roaster with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (I used a great big disposable turkey roaster sprayed with Pam.) 1 bunch of celery (approximately 10 stalks)

3 large onions (We used four because we love onion)

6 pounds lean hamburger (We used 8 pounds because we

like it beefier)

2 two-pound boxes elbow macaroni (for a total of four

pounds Joyce uses Creamettes Elbow Macaroni)

1 large can (50-ounces) Campbell's tomato soup, undiluted