Easter celebrations around the Oklahoma City metro are soon to be in full swing and one thing we can always gather around is good food! Here are a few treasured recipes from the staff at MetroFamily.
We’d love to see your family recipes too! Email recipes to tips@metrofamilymagazine.com or post in the comments below.
Skiier’s French Toast
provided by Kirsten Holder, former senior project manager
1 stick or 1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
3 tbsp dark corn syrup
1 loaf French bread, cut into thick slices
5 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of nutmeg
Cook butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 13 by 9 in. pan. Layer the bread on top of the syrup in pan. Mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg and pour the mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning uncover the casserole and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings like powdered sugar, a fresh fruit like strawberries, syrup and/or whipped cream.
Cheesy Brunch Tater Tot Casserole
provided by Lindsay Cuomo, digital editor
4 slices, bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
32 oz frozen tater tots
8 large eggs
1 c of milk
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Cook sausage on medium high heat, breaking up the meat and browning it. Once cooked through, drain and layer onto the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over cooked sausage. In a large bowl, hand-whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, onion powder and salt. Once mixed, pour evenly over the cheese and sausage in baking dish. Layer top with frozen tater tots. If not baking right away, cover tightly with foil and chill in fridge until the next morning.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, place uncovered casserole in oven for about 35 minutes. Top with additional 1/2 cup cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until sides are bubbling and top is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley, let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
provided by Renee Filippo, content & account manager
½ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 to 2.25 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed (2 tenderloins)
½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp water, 2 tsp cornstarch (slurry)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the apricot preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Transfer ½ cup of the sauce to a small saucepan and reserve the remaining amount in the bowl. Season pork with salt, pepper and rosemary and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and pour the apricot sauce from the bowl over the top of the tenderloins.Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Baste tenderloins with sauce from the pan and continue roasting for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. Put saucepan with the apricot sauce over LOW heat. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch and pour it into the saucepan. Stir the sauce and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the thickened glaze. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then slice into 1-inch medallions.
Grandma Lucille’s Mashed Potatoes
5 lbs of russet potatoes
6 oz cream cheese (can be “light” version)
8 oz sour cream (can be “light” version)
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp onion salt
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Peel, half-peel or don’t peel the potatoes (less peels mean it’s a more smooth consistency; more peel, more texture). Cut the potatoes into about 2” cubes and boil them in a large pot of salted water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the water off the potatoes. Combine the potatoes and remaining ingredients in a mixer until the right consistency for your liking. You can either eat these right away or make this recipe ahead and keep in the fridge. To make the dish look prettier, you could sprinkle a bit of paprika on the top and add some pats of butter. To heat from the fridge: Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on how thick your casserole or other dish is. Serves 12 (or more).
Grandma Jane’s Sweet Potato Casserole
provided by Marissa Raglin, former director of events
Casserole ingredients
3 c sweet potato (4 whole), cooked until tender
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c milk
Topping ingredients
1/3 c melted butter
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 c chopped pecans (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mash and whip potatoes. Mix remaining 5 ingredients in and pour into 9×13 pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and enjoy!
Asparagus, Egg & Bacon Salad
Bundle of asparagus
Spinach or arugula
6-8 slices of cooked bacon
4-6 eggs, hardboiled and sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
pepper to taste
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add asparagus and cook 2-3 minutes, until just tender (as an alternative, asparagus can be steamed until just tender). Drain and run under cold water to stop from cooking further. Mix with several handfuls of spinach or arugula, top with crumbled cooked bacon and sliced hardboiled eggs. Prepare dressing: in a small bowl, whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper to taste. Drizzle dressing over salad mixture.
Broccoli Bowtie Pasta Salad
provided by Emiley Bainbridge, editorial assistant
8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Add broccoli, pasta and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir sunflower seeds into salad just before serving.
The Best Deviled Eggs
provided by Marissa Raglin, former director of events
12 large eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish
No-fuss Artisan Bread
provided by Lindsay Cuomo, digital editor
3 c all-purpose flour (can swap half with whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ c warm water
Combine ingredients in a bowl using a wooden spoon until just combined, careful not to over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours (the longer, the better to develop flavor). About 90 minutes before you want to serve, turn the dough out onto a well-floured piece of parchment paper. Gently form into a ball. Transfer dough, parchment and all, into an oven-safe baking dish (a round cake pan or Dutch oven works well). Slash an X on top and bake in a preheated, 450-degree oven covered for 30 minutes. (If using a cake pan, cover with another cake pan turned upside down.) Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes. Cool before slicing.
Sugar cookies with icing
provided by Erin Page, managing editor
Cookie ingredients1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour
1/3 c butter
1-3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Food coloringMelt butter, add milk (1 tablespoon to start) and vanilla extract. Add powdered sugar until desired, spreadable consistency reached. If it gets too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. Divvy icing into separate bowls, add food coloring for desired colors and decorate!
The Best Ever Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
provided by Dana Price, recipe from The Domestic Rebel
Cake ingredients
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
4 large eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛th tsp ground cloves
1 c chopped pecans (may substitute walnuts)
2 c shredded carrots
Frosting ingredients
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
¼ c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp orange juice
¼ c heavy cream
3 – 3 & ½ c powdered sugar
Salted chopped pecans for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a 9×13″ rectangular baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple and eggs until combined. Whisk in the sugars, oil, and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients until a cohesive batter comes together. Fold in the pecans, carrots, and raisins (if using) until combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the orange juice and gradually add in the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy, streaming in the heavy cream as needed. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake and sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans, if using. Store covered in the fridge.
