Marissa Kay & Jamie Klein's Egg Casserole

Last weekend I came across a unique dish that I'd honestly never quite seen or tasted before....EGG CASSEROLE! Although I don't think that egg casserole is its formal name, if it looks like one and tastes like one... well you all know how the saying goes.

In any case, I came across this AMAZING egg dish that I just had to share with all of you. And I enjoyed it so much that I will be submitting it for an Eggland's Best recipe contest. Ironically, the recipe has been passed through a few people making it difficult for me to state the recipe's exact origin. But per the recipe's maker, here goes:

• Originally created by Courtney Bloom


• Brought to NYC by Marissa Kay


• Jamie Klein's version with bacon

Clearly this recipe has been adjusted time and time again, just as a good cook will normally would. But for the most recent version, I present Jamie Klein's Egg Casserole Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8-12 oz package bacon, or turkey bacon
• 9 eggs (or 12 egg whites)
• 2 boxes of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 24 oz cottage cheese (don’t use less than 1%)
• 4 cups Monterey jack and cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ sticks butter melted
• ½ cup flour
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

PREPARATION

• Chop and cook bacon or turkey bacon in an un-greased sautee pan until cooked (not crispy)
• Mix all ingredients, including bacon in a mixing bowl
• Transfer mixed ingredients to a greased (with Pam) 9x13 dish and bake at 350 for an hour
• Then serve in its tray and devour!
  

St. Paddy's Day Adventure

Last weekend I ventured out to Hoboken for their St. Paddy's Day celebration with a few friends. I figured since I'd never been before, it was something I just needed to experience for myself. So we headed out at around noon, well after the serious St. Paddy's Day crowd had already arrived. Greeted by hoards of party goers adorned in green, we decided to skip the exhausted bar lines and stick to the house parties! And our first stop was Jamie Klein's adorable apartment. She even served us food, what a nice suprise!

To my suprise there was an entire spread of green bagels (just for the occassion), an egg casserole, green donuts, cheese and crackers, and a keg of beer. Since I'd already eaten on the way in, I decided to try a bite of the egg casserole. The casserole really hit the spot after a few sips of beer. It was creamy and delicious and had the perfect amount of bacon giving it a nice smokey flavor. I knew I needed to get that recipe!

Though I swore I'd stop eating after the eggs, I went back at it having a few bites of a green bagel and then a green donut. I mean hey, if I'm up drinking at noon, I deserve some hearty sustinance. And that I got!!!

A few hours later, after some light drinking (wink wink), we headed to the only candy store in town and had a field day! I mixed and matched my favorite sweets including sour watermelons, chocolate covered gummy bears, and kookaburra licorice. And there was nothing sweeter than purchasing the candy at about half the price it would cost if we'd boughten it in the city!

Although our day didn't end there, I think the later part of the day is better left for the imagination.

Worthwhile Food Buzz*

OatmealForABuck

Jamba Juice is selling their organic steel-cut oatmeal for just $1 throughout all of March. And I didn't even know they served breakfast! You can even top your oats off with their yummy blackberry and brown sugar crumble at no extra charge. How is that for a recession special? Visit http://www.oatmealforabuck.com/ to print out a coupon.

Psychedelic Fat-Free Cake

I don't know about you, but I think my next bake off might be who makes the coolest cake. Admittedly, I've seen this done before, but Aleta the writer of the blog Omnomicon gives a great tutorial on how to create this fat-free rainbow masterpiece.

*Today's Food Buzz was contributed by Megan Baker

Food for Thought 3/2 - 3/6

This past week was packed full of delicious dishes and fabulous desserts that I just can't wait to share with all of you. So to whet your appetite, I'll give you a small taste of what's to come this week...

BRUNCH

• Spitzer's Corner - Is this really a LES staple? If you've eaten there, I'm eager to hear about your dining experience.
• Shopsins (Essex St. Market)- Who knew there were only FOUR tables? You have to get up at 9am in order to be seating this year.

DESSERT

• Babycakes - Whoever said their cupcakes were good, must have been high. Think fat free & after taste.
• Roni-Sue's Chocolates - If there's anything you should indulge in, it should be these delectible chocolate truffles filled with assorted sweet and savory goodness.
• Cupcake Project - Are you head over heels for cupcakes? Check out this blog that is solely dedicated to unique cupcake creations, including ravioli cupcakes!

LUNCH/DINNER

• Persephone - Periyali's new cousin serves up a mean restaurant week menu. But is it hit or miss?
• Patsy's - Quite impressed with this local eatery. They serve up more than just a great pizza!
• Knickerbocker's - Oh, how I love my business lunches. Too bad this one didn't live up to its reputation.