Recipe: Breakfast Puffs + Bonus Recipe!

This week’s post is a two-for-one vintage recipe, including a simple, delicious baked good that will become a staple in your baking!

The reason for the bonus is because I was blessed to be part of a big cooking adventure this past weekend which included my setting a new record in the number of people cooked for. Whew!

Let me explain.

Since 2017, my husband John & I have attended St. Luke Church in Adams County in Indiana.

Located smack-dab in the middle of cornfields, several miles from any town, you would not think this Bible-believing church would see growth in attendance — but we have!

With many churches enduring a drop-off in numbers of people coming through their doors since Covid, our church could reflect that and be struggling to survive.

Instead, we have seen many new people join the St. Luke family. That’s exciting!

But it meant our church needed more space.

In December 2023 we completed a big building program — the addition of 10 Sunday School rooms and expansion of our church sanctuary.

Now that warmer weather is finally here, the congregation decided to perform landscaping duties using volunteers, thus saving many dollars which would otherwise have been spent hiring the work done.

John & I volunteered to serve breakfast to the crew. Thirty volunteers were asked to show up.

I had my doubts. Rain was in the forecast. Who wants to dig dirt in the rain?

Plus, with our weekly attendance of around 100, thirty volunteers would be nearly one-third of the congregation.

I’m such a doubting Thomas.

Not just 30 people showed up — 50 showed up!

People shoveled rocks, ran skid loaders and wheelbarrows, used countless shovels, spades, and other tools, to plant dozens of shrubs and plants.

It was a fabulous effort from people ranging in age from eight through (I’m guessing) late 70s. And yes, they worked in intermittent rain.

Obviously, 50 people meant less work for each one.

But I became worried.

The original plan had been to provide food for 30. I had two large egg cheese casseroles, mini-homemade donuts, boxed cereal, yogurt, fruit, milk, and orange juice.

As the volunteers were called to come and eat after working hard for 1.5 hours, I really worried there would not be enough food!

It wasn’t my reputation that concerned me as much as the thought of several of them going hungry after being promised a meal.

But, like Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 in the book of John 6, the food seemed to extend so that every person had a plate full.

We did run out of orange juice and fruit and only had 1 yogurt left (several of the youngest kids chose this which surprised me!).

By the end of the feeding frenzy, only five pieces from the two pans of casserole remained.

No one complained. In fact, several people complimented John & me (he helped with many steps of the prep) for the food.

They also liked the mini-donuts which I made Saturday morning before taking them to the church. Fresh is best!

This vintage recipe went over well. I can’t wait to share it below – it is super simple and delicious!

We went home tired to a very messy kitchen. But I viewed it as a place where blessings had happened on behalf of others.

I’m so proud to be associated with a church in which so many volunteers work hard. It was an honor to feed them.

If you’d like to learn more about St. Luke Church, go to https://stluke-church.org.

We’d be glad to get to know you!

**

On to the recipes.

This Egg-Cheese Casserole is one my mother-in-law taught me shortly after we married in 1980 (we lived next door). She had been making it for many events, including people she invited over for a meal and church suppers (it works any time of the day!).

I’ve made it dozens of times over the years.

It is nutritious and versatile. Not only does it have lots of protein with the meat, cheese and eggs, but you can improvise on the cheeses, meats and bread.

For this event, I used cut-up cooked pork links in one pan, while the other had the usual ground sausage.

My traditional cheese of choice is yellow cheddar. But when my grocery had a sale on white cheddar cheese, I purchased it and used it. More compliments were received for that dish than the yellow!

As for the bread, frozen hot dog buns left over from a cookout worked well torn in pieces.

The casserole, including shredding the cheese, cooking the meat and tearing up the bread, comes together in 30 minutes. John helped with the prep.

Try this for a year-round nutritious, filling brunch or supper meal. Breakfast is good anytime!

Sorry I don’t have a photo of them out of the oven.

Egg-Cheese Casserole

6 eggs, beaten

3 c. milk

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1 t. dry mustard

12 pieces dry bread torn in pieces

1 pound cooked meat of your choice (sausage, ham, bacon, pork links)

Mix together in large bowl.

Spray or use parchment paper in a 9×12-inch pan. Pour ingredients in pan and level out.

Baking time: 1 hour at 350 degrees or when toothpick comes out clean from the middle.

*In my 11×16-inch pan I placed 2 pounds of sausage and nine eggs; this required a longer cooking time.

**

This recipe is so simple and fun to make that you’ll pull it out often!

Breakfast Puffs

1/3 c shortening

½ c sugar

1 egg

1 ½ c flour

1 ½ t. baking powder

½ t. salt

¼ t. nutmeg

½ c milk

½ c sugar

1 t. cinnamon

½ c. margarine

Heat oven to 350

Grease 15 muffin cups.

Mix shortening, ½ c sugar, & egg.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt & nutmeg alternately with milk.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.

Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Mix ½ c sugar & cinnamon.

Immediately after baking, roll puffs in melted margarine, then in sugar-cinnamon mix.

My Notes:

*I use a small ice cream scoop to ensure all puffs are similar in size.

*I sprayed the muffin liners for quicker prep.

*Recipe can be made in mini-muffin tins