Another in my series, B.F.D. (Breakfast for Dinner, an imaginary, developmental restaurant)
In another scene in my imaginary restaurant, we ask...What do lumberjacks eat for breakfast???
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The Lumberjack Breakfast is the most filling breakfast that a body can eat! So. Much. Food. You will waddle away from the table, to which, hopefully, you've worn your stretchy sweatpants! Cos you're gonna need them!
Real lumberjacks work really hard!!! It's a tough job, very physical, out in the weather, fighting the elements, cutting down trees; and it takes a lot of protein and carbs to fuel that much energy! Now, for the average guy, this is too much food...for the lumberjack, it'll keep him fueled throughout a hard day of work! He's definitely NOT the 'I'll just have coffee' type!
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Set this out as a buffet on a cold, lazy Saturday...and just graze! Since we're elevating this to an all morning affair, let's have a Bloody Mary Bar, too! Or at least a pitcher of Mimosas! Oh, yeah, and coffee, too!
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We do ours like this...a bottle of bubbly, a bottle of Tropicana or Simply Orange, a good half cup (or more) of silver Bacardi and frozen strawberries from our freezer and freshly sliced oranges. Pineapple chunks are delicious in this, too, with the juice from the can, or any random fruit you have handy. We always take our fruit that's about to go over the edge into waste, and pop it in the freezer for an occasion such as this!
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Now that we've had a little sip, let's talk about the menu...All three of the breakfast meats come into play in the Lumberjack Breakfast. Bacon, ham and sausage. They do make the most magnificent trio, don't they? If you're having a large crowd for breakfast, do a spiral cut ham to make it easy. When I do this for our family, I use ham steaks sliced into serving size wedges. We do sausage links on the meat tray just because it's our preference. I love the fresh links we find at our local Aldi's; they have a great flavor. The kids really enjoy them , too...it gives the rest of us a chance at the bacon if the kids are distracted by the sausage! ;)
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The Lumberjack Breakfast always comes with eggs of some sort, scrambled or fried, most often. For a crowd, do the Casserole Scrambles in your oven. This serves twelve hungry diners a good hearty portion. Whisk two dozen eggs with a tablespoon of salt and two cups of half & half. Pour a stick of melted butter into a 9 x 13 casserole and add the eggs. Place the eggs carefully into a 350F oven. I say carefully because you do not want to slosh out any of the egg mixture...it smells horrible when it hits the bottom of the oven! Trust me! Set your timer for ten minutes. At the end of the ten minutes, take out the eggs and give them a good stir, making certain to scrape the sides and bottom of the dish. Pop them back into the oven and set the timer for another ten minutes. Take out of the oven and stir well, again. Continue the process until your eggs have set through. You could add cheese, if you wanted, or fresh chives, in that last stir and bake. These are very moist and tasty eggs. This recipe actually seems to have the perfect amount of salt. Add pepper, too, if your family enjoys a little kick.
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Another dish common to the Lumberjack Breakfast is Pancakes...and, you know, at home, it's perfectly acceptable to just doctor up that classic box pancake mix! They're actually pretty darned good, these days! Competition creates great products! We add vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for extra flavor to the base pancake mix. Portion in half cup measure for this size of pancake. When you see the bubbles rising, like those in the bottom of the picture, it's time to flip. We always well butter our griddle...I just love the way it caramelizes the sugars in the pancake! Serve these up with lots of extra butter, maple syrup or pancake syrup and stand back!
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This is the second starch you're going to find in the Lumberjack's Breakfast. And, no, it's not the last. Hash Browns...there are so very many different ways to do these! My own favorite (as this IS my imaginary restaurant) is the chunky kind, with onions, and sometimes bell pepper. Occasionally, jalapenos. Of course, if you like the shredded hash browns, by all means, use those! These may be done on the stovetop in a skillet or , if you're having a crowd, do them in the oven. If you start with potatoes that you've boiled the night before, and chilled overnight, you'll cut down on your cook time immensely! I use both oil and butter in the pan, either way, tossing the cubed potatoes to coat, and sprinkling with seasoned salt, kosher salt and pepper. I add in diced onion to the toss. It'll cook in the time it takes the potatoes to brown. If I don't pan fry these, I bake them in a 425F oven, tossing every 12 minutes, until they're GB&D! (Golden Brown & Delicious)
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The third, and final, starch, Toast! It's a given, on any respectable Lumberjack Breakfast plate! With butter, jam or jelly, to go with.
In my research on the traditional Lumberjack's Breakfast, I really didn't see much mention of fruit... we'll set some out to fulfill our duties to at least encourage the fruit love! It makes a wonderful end to a completely over the top breakfast!
Are you getting full yet? Bet you're glad you wore your stretchy pants, aren't you?
I did find another interesting item on my travels, Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy...but I'm completely stuffed! I'll save that one for another day...if you thought our Southern Biscuits and Gravy was decadent, you're in for a big delicious surprise!
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For more recipes and menu ideas, visit the Blogs at
http://mamajeani.wix.com/gardengatebakery