If, like me, you sometimes just want to forget all about November’s “big frantic holiday” in favor of sleeping in, slowing down and cooking something a little more, well, manageable, then you’ll love what I’ve put together for you this month. Ditch the Thanksgiving dinner (make reservations instead) and prepare a morning-after breakfast (or brunch) that still showcases all the best flavors of fall.
We’re talking sweet butternut squash in a frittata with kale-packed hash, splurge-worthy pumpkin pancakes (sans pumpkin spice; it’s way overdone in my opinion) and fragrant sage and nutty pumpkin seed oil in one of my favorite breakfast foods: baked eggs with a runny yolk. It’s a perfect spread for treating yourself (or houseguests) with less hassle and mess. Now that’s something to be thankful for.
Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes
makes 20-24 5-inch pancakes
1¼ cups buttermilk
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg plus one egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
Pinch of salt
Warm butter and syrup, for topping
Mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs and butter. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly fold in the wet mixture. (If the batter is too thick, add a bit more buttermilk.) Don’t overmix. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then, in a nonstick skillet, use a ladle to spoon 5-inch pancakes and cook over medium high heat, flipping when bubbles start to form. Serve warm with butter and syrup.
Butternut Squash, Sausage, & Gouda Frittata
serves 4
1 tablespoon butter
½ onion, diced
4 breakfast sausage links, chopped
1 cup butternut squash, cut into app. ¼-½ inch cubes
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup grated Gouda
6 eggs, beaten with ¼ cup cream
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 sage leaves, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, saute the onion in butter until soft. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Add the butternut squash and cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Salt and pepper well. Sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables and sausage, and pour the egg/cream mixture over top, covering everything. Sprinkle chopped herbs on top. Turn the heat down to medium and cook (don’t stir!) until the eggs just set. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes.
Kale, Sausage, Potato, & Butternut Squash Hash
serves 4 as a main breakfast or brunch dish; 6 as a side dish
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces breakfast sausage,
chopped (I used maple sausage)
1 cup potato, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 cups butternut squash, cut into
½ inch cubes
4 cups kale, chopped, stems removed
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a deep sided skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onions in oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Add the potato and butternut squash and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the kale and the apple cider vinegar, stir and cover until the kale is soft, about 10 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Optional: Top with fried egg.
Baked Eggs with Sage & Pumpkin Seed Oil
serves 2
Unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons cream, divided
3 sage leaves
Salt and pepper
Pumpkin seed oil, for drizzling
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 6-ounce ramekins. Crack two eggs into each ramekin, and drizzle one tablespoon of cream into each one. Sprinkle half the sage on each egg duo and lightly salt and pepper each one. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how runny you like your yolks. Serve warm with buttered toast, drizzled with just a bit of pumpkin seed oil.
<<< Clockwise from top: Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes, Butternut Squash, Sausage & Gouda Frittata, Kale, Sausage, Potato & Butternut Squash Hash, Baked Eggs with Sage & Pumpkin Seed Oil
