i love brunch

Love it. Nothing makes me happier than someone saying, “Hey, Mary Straton, you’re my friend, I like you, let’s do brunch!” I like to plan a brunch, go to brunch at someone’s house, make it for friends, you name it – I freaking love brunch.

So, you can imagine my excitement and happiness when I got to make brunch for Harris and Lou and Kell last weekend. It was essentially an extension of the Great Birthday Celebration of 2010, one of the best in birthday history. I have eaten more in the week of my and Kell’s birthdays than I care to admit, so why stop right before the funnest (yes) feast of the day? Well, I didn’t. I’m a giver, so I plug on. I’m a big girl like that.

Here’s my menu:

Fruit Salad (Chick-fil-A style – the best in the fast food industry)
Sister Schubert’s Sausage Rolls (I dare you to make a better pig-in-a-blanket)
Tomato Grits
Monkey Bread

Aaaand, here’s how I did it:

My Favorite Fruit Salad

1 pint strawberries
2 granny smith apples
1 lb grapes
2 cans mandarin oranges

Remove the tops of the strawberries and slice. Cut the apple into slices and then into bite size pieces (about the same size of the grapes). Rinse and drain oranges. Mix all ingredients in bowl and chill.

Tomato Grits

2 cups water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup diced green onions
4 ounces processed cheddar cheese, cubed (Velveeta)
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add the salt and slowly add the grits and return to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring the grits add the 1/2 cup of butter and stir until butter is melted. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a skillet, saute the onions in the remaining tablespoon of butter for 1 minute. Add the processed cheese, garlic powder, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, and onions to grits, and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Pour the grits into a greased 8 by 11 by 2-inch casserole and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the casserole for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

(I halved the recipe for the 4 of us, and it was perfect. The whole shebang would probably serve 8-10.)

Monkey Bread (oo oo ah ah)

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan.

Melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.

Have a great weekend. Enjoy brunch! I do!