Grown-Up Brunch

I guess I consider myself a 'grown-up'.  I mean, I did just get married this year - and even though we were dating and living together for nearly 6 years prior to tying the knot, it does somehow feel a tiny bit different to be married....in a good way.  We hang out with other couples - and on Sunday I made an actual, legit Brunch....for proper adults.

Now, this doesn't mean I am going to pop out 1.3 kids and start a stamp collection, but it's sort of nice to get civilly 'shit-canned' on a Sunday afternoon.  There is an odd, sort of 'responsible' feeling you get as you tie on a late-morning buzz from mimosas and rum and eggnog.  It's not like we were taking shots or funneling champagne, but it felt somehow 'grown up' to casually sit around and chat while sipping on a cocktail and listening to Christmas tunes play in the background on a frigid Sunday afternoon.

Oh, yeah - the brunch part - I figured I should probably make something to eat too...so I decided to pair our libations with one of my favorite breakfast dishes from my Mother's kitchen.

This is a 'breakfast strudel' - essentially a dynamite batch of scrambled eggs all wrapped and baked in puff pastry and served with cheesy breakfast potatoes.

Now, I was in a zone (*see slightly impaired) while creating this so I managed to forget to take pictures of the 'process' - so I will do my best to describe it and hopefully by seeing the finished product you will be able to visualize it.

BREAKFAST STRUDEL

• 1 box (1.1#) puff pastry dough - for this batch I used the single sheet puff pastry dough from Pillsbury and just used two containers.
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup frozen cubed hash browns 
• 1 red pepper, diced 
• 1/2cup onion diced 
• 1cup Bacon (or ham or sausage)
• 11 eggs 
• 2 Tbsp minced chives (fresh) 
• 4 oz cream cheese softened 
• 2 Tbsp orange juice  

• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese shredded

Preheat Oven to 400*

1. THAW pastry according to pkg directions, about 30 min.  
2. MELT butter in skillet, med hi, add potatoes & saute 5 min.  Add pepper & onion & saute 3 min, add bacon (that you have previously cooked and chopped).  
3. WISK eggs & chives & add to pan - scramble JUST until set.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Off heat stir in cream cheese and OJ until blended.  Refrigerate eggs while working w/pastry.
4. UNFOLD a pastry sheet on a work surface lightly dusted w/flour.  Roll pastry lengthwise to 12"x 10", then transfer to parchment (or silpat) to fit a baking sheet.  Trim pastry (See NOTE Below), fill w/ 1/2 egg mix, and braid (see note).  Repeat w/remaining pastry & egg.  Lift parchment w/strudel onto backing sheet.
5. COMBINE remaining egg & water  - brush over top of strudel.  Sprinkle w/cheese and bake 20-30 min or until golden.  Let cool 5 min. before slicing.

 NOTE:  After pastry has been rolled out, cut off TOP corners.  Notch BOTTOM corners to create end flaps.  Spoon mix down center of pastry and make cuts at about 1.5 inch intervals on both sides at 45* angle (see illustration).  Fold up the flaps at both ends, then braid (crisscross) the strips across the filling - just folding each 'flap' over one another.  (see above photo for finished dish)   Finish with egg wash & cheese.  

It all turned out dynamite and everyone really enjoyed it.

I did brunch 'Like an Adult!' (to the tune of 'Like a Boss' by The Lonely Island).

However, the further the afternoon poured on towards the evening, the more the drinks flowed.

Now I'm not saying my 'grown-up' brunch ended with a living room full of upside down furniture and six 30-ish year old adults dancing in their underwear to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ......


...................................................................or am I?



..............I am not.