With the warm weather beginning to kick in, that means more opportunities for picnics and brunch with your favorite folks! Take a gander at these brunch-inspired ribbon-winning recipes from chefs of all backgrounds from Creative Arts Cooking Contests at the State Fair of Texas. Whether you’re spending time with others or want to test your cooking skills at home, these award-winning foods will leave you craving more!
BREAKFAST ON A STICK
Sara Smith
Arlington, TX
2nd Place–Fair Concoctions
Ingredients:
12 bamboo skewers
12 precooked Yellowstone bacon breakfast links
6 lg. eggs
4 T. milk
Salt & pepper
1 c. shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chilies, drained
2 sheets puffed pastry
2 T. melted butter
Preheat oven to 400°. Take a bamboo skewer and put it in a breakfast link. In a bowl, mix eggs with 4 tablespoons of milk, salt, and pepper. Line a small rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour eggs onto pan. Sprinkle cheese, chilies, and butter over the top. Bake for 8 minutes. Take out and cut into ¾-Inch wide strips, about 8 inches long. Roll out puffed pastry and cut into 1-lnch wide strips, about 8 inches long. Lay egg 1 strip onto puffed pastry strip and wrap around breakfast link. Put onto new rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
Glaze: Mix butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt together to get a slightly runny texture, similar to yellow mustard. Put in a squeeze bottle to squeeze over your breakfast on a stick.
LOADED BREAKFAST EGG ROLLS
Nick Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
3rd Place–Air Fryer, Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker Contest
Ingredients:
2 T. unsalted butter
1 lb. breakfast hot sausage
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper divided
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 sm. russet potato, finely grated
6 lg. eggs, lightly scrambled
½ sm. onion
18-20 egg roll wrappers
1 ¼ c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 slices bacon, cooked & chopped
1 sm. avocado, finely chopped
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add in sausage and let sausage brown and cook through completely, about 5-6 minutes. Season sausage with ½ teaspoon of salt/pepper and garlic powder. Move sausage over to one side of skillet and add in potatoes. Let lightly cook and brown about 2-3 minutes. Then mix with sausage and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes. Once potatoes are lightly crisp, move mixture over to one side of skillet again. Scramble eggs in a bowl with remaining ½ teaspoon of salt/pepper. Pour into empty side of skillet and lightly scramble for 1 minute. Then combine fully with sausage/potato mixture. At this stage you’re looking for eggs to be lightly done, they do not need to be fully cooked as they will finish cooking when air frying. Remove filling from heat and allow to cool down completely.
Egg Roll: Fill a small bowl with water and set aside. Wet your fingers with water and run them along sides of egg roll wrapper. Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling directly into center. Sprinkle top of filling with about 1 tablespoon of cheese and a sprinkle of bacon and avocado. Bring egg roll wrapper sides in and begin to roll up egg roll all while tucking filling in as you roll. Use more water once you get to top if needed to seal completely. The key is to roll egg rolls tightly without any exposed pockets. Spray outside with spray oil of your choice. Place egg rolls onto air fryer basket. Repeat process until all wrappers are filled/rolled.
To Air Fry: Set air fryer to 380°. Spray outside of filled breakfast rolls with spray olive oil or coconut oil. Place in basket of air fryer making sure they are not touching or too crowded. Set timer for 6 minutes. Remove and turn. Cook an additional 4-6 minutes or until golden brown. Serve egg rolls Immediately with salsa, or as desired
STICKY PIGS IN A BLANKET
Renee English
Arlington, TX
1st Place–Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
8 oz. tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (13-oz.) pkg. Little Smokies
1 c. Texas pecan pieces
½ c. + 1 T. butter, divided
6 T. dark brown sugar
6 T. Firebee cinnamon honey
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Unroll crescent rolls; separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise into 3 narrow triangles. Place sausage on the wide side of each triangle. Roll up and place in prepared dish, 24 rolls total. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. While baking, spread pecans out in a single layer onto a baking sheet, pour 1 tablespoon melted butter over the top, and sprinkle with salt. Place in oven and toast 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine remaining ½ cup of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon honey. Cook until butter has melted, and sugar has dissolved but do not let it boil. Pour over pigs in a blanket. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown, sprinkling with toasted pecans near the end.
BRISKET TACOS
Jessie Newcomb
Bedford, TX
2nd Place–Tex-Mex Contest
Ingredients:
2 T. Sea salt
1 T. black pepper
1 (4-lb.) brisket
1 lg. onion, quartered
Preheat oven to 350°. In baking dish, salt and pepper the brisket. Place onions on top and cover. Bake for 3-4 hours or until brisket is tender.
20 corn tortillas
1 T. lard
Chop brisket along with onion and set aside in a medium bowl. In a large skillet heat meat with onion on medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat up tortillas on a Comal. Set on a plate. Double the corn tortillas. Place brisket and onions on each taco:
Lime Crema:
½ c. sour cream
½ c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. garlic, minced
½ tsp. lime zest
In medium mixing bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic and lime zest. Put crema into squeeze bottle. Garnish with shredded cabbage and Lime Crema. Serve with hot corn tortillas.
SCALLOPED POTATOES AND HAM
Robert Crook
Richardson, TX
3rd Place–Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
3 T. unsalted butter
1 med.-size yellow onion, minced
4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
4 c. half-and-half
6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 oz. black forest ham, sliced very thin, then into 1-lnch squares
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add potatoes, 1 half-and-half, 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and adjust heat to maintain a light simmer and cook until potatoes are almost tender. Transfer potato mixture and ham to a 3-quart gratin dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until half-and-half has thickened and is bubbling around sides and top is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.