New Year’s Day means hearty morning and evening meals

No matter how you celebrate New Year’s Day, it’s always nice to wake up to a good breakfast. Whether you fell asleep on the couch in front of the television waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square or stood outside in the cold, sipping hot cocoa and watching the Overfalls Anchor Drop, the first meal of the new year needs to be quick, easy and satisfying.

When there’s a crowd at the house with college kids home from school and relatives visiting for the holidays, one easy choice is a breakfast casserole or strata, which refers to the multiple layers in the dish. The typical list of ingredients includes meat, bread cubes, cheese, milk and eggs. You can put it all together the night before, store it in the refrigerator while you go out for the evening and then bake it in the morning. 
Two combinations are sausage with mushrooms and ham with broccoli. My family had a version of the sausage recipe we called Eggs Portugal, but I’m not sure where the name originated. I hadn’t made it in a while and was surprised I didn’t remember the can of condensed mushroom soup among the ingredients. A healthier substitute is a sautéed mix of sliced mushrooms.

Using ham as the meat in the broccoli version is helpful if you’re trying to repurpose leftovers from that spiral-sliced beauty you served for Christmas dinner. The recipe is similar, with the addition of broccoli and red pepper for texture and flavor interest. One key to success is to use a somewhat shallow baking dish so the center has the chance to cook completely.

Another option is to forgo the bread cubes and substitute potatoes. You can layer in cubed potatoes or use a package of shredded potatoes found in the dairy aisle or grocery freezer section. In either case, the potato pieces need to be small enough for them to cook thoroughly. If it turns out you don’t need to serve breakfast to a large group, you can make individual breakfast bowls. 

One way is to start with sautéed potatoes, top them with scrambled eggs and a sprinkle of cheese. After a few moments under the broiler, the cheese forms a crunchy crust. For a more decadent variation, start with baked tater tots for the bottom layer and for some spice, top with a spoonful of salsa. For the simple scramble in the photo, I turned to the leftover charcuterie board to stir in some feta cheese.

Now that you’ve handled breakfast, you can think about the main meal for New Year’s Day. Almost every culture has a set of food traditions, most of which focus on hope for prosperity in the year ahead, typically based on the color or shape of the food. In the southern region of this country, the entire New Year’s Day dinner menu follows that trend.

First on the list are beans or peas, believed to symbolize coins because of their round shape. Greens, resembling paper money (at least before they’re cooked) are included to ensure good fortune in the shape of cash. Pork is the main dish because pigs root moving forward, unlike chickens who scratch in a backward direction. Finally, cornbread brings its golden color as another harbinger of financial success.

Many cooks manage to cover all these options by serving a dish called Hoppin’ John along with smothered collard or mustard greens and warm buttered cornbread. Happy New Year!

Sausage Strata

1 1/2 lbs bulk breakfast sausage
1 T butter
8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
8 oz sliced white mushrooms
2 minced shallots
6 C cubed Italian bread
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C milk
1/2 C half & half
5 eggs
1 T vermouth

Coat the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large skillet, brown the sausage, crumbling into small chunks. Remove the sausage to a paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 1 T of the rendered fat in the pan. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook, stirring often until the mushroom liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Place half the bread cubes in the prepared baking pan in an even layer. Cover bread with sausage and then layer with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with 2 C cheese. Spread remaining bread cubes and top with remaining 1 C cheese; set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, half & half, eggs and vermouth. Pour the egg mixture over the bread layers; press down with a spatula to ensure the bread is moistened completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove pan from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking. Cook at 350 F until puffy and browned, about 1 hour. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Ham Strata

2 T butter
1 diced onion
1 diced red pepper
2 C diced ham
2 C chopped brocoli
6 C cubed Italian bread
3 C grated Swiss cheese
2 C milk
1/2 C half & half
5 eggs
1/2 t Dijon mustard

Coat the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the onion and pepper until softened. Add the ham and cook until lightly browned. Stir in broccoli and cook about 2 minutes. Place half the bread cubes in the prepared baking pan in an even layer. Cover bread with ham and broccoli mixture. Sprinkle with 2 C of grated cheese. Spread remaining bread cubes and top with remaining 1 C cheese; set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, half & half, eggs and mustard. Pour the egg mixture over the bread layers; press down with a spatula to ensure the bread is moistened completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove pan from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking. Cook at 350 F until puffy and browned, about 1 hour. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Hoppin’ John

8 oz dried black-eyed peas
1 chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
4 oz diced ham
1/2 t thyme
2 bay leaves
3 C water
salt & pepper, to taste
chicken stock (if needed)
3 diced bacon slices
1 C rice
salt & pepper, to taste

In an oven-safe pot, combine peas, onion, garlic, ham, thyme and bay leaves. Pour in water and bring to a simmer. Cook until peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 F. Transfer pea mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon, discarding bay leaves. Decant cooking liquid to a measuring cup; if needed, add chicken stock to bring liquid measure to 2 1/4 C. In the same pot used for the peas, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Add rice and stir to coat completely with bacon fat. Return peas to the pan along with 2 C liquid. Cover and bake until rice is fluffy and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with smothered greens and cornbread. Yield: 6 servings.