Easy-to-make brunch dishes from four St. Louis chefs

Strata from Mary Bogacki, co-owner chef of Yolklore

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped kale
• 1 cup chopped bacon
• 1 ½ cups finely chopped onion (one large)
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb)
• 2 cups coarsely grated Fontina cheese
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 ¾ cups milk
• 9 large eggs

Directions

1. Cook onion and garlic in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, one minute. Stir in kale, then remove from heat.
2. Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).
3. Whisk together milk, eggs, and remaining ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours for bread to absorb custard.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Strata can be made the day ahead and let soak overnight. Any veggies can be used. Any cheese can be used. Any meat can be used. Customize as you wish.

Courtesy SweetArt

Courtesy SweetArt

Roasted Curry Carrots with Mint from SweetArt co-owner and chef Reine Bayoc

“It is so simple to put together that it doesn’t feel like a real recipe, which I love,” Bayoc says. “Carrots are underrated, in my humble opinion.”

Ingredients

• 6 whole carrots
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Smoked Alderwood black salt (to taste)
• Fresh mint, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Halve carrots lengthwise.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place carrots cut side up.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the carrots and rub.
5. Sprinkle on the curry powder and smoked paprika. Rub the spices over the carrots.
6. Sprinkle on the Alderwood smoked salt.
7. Bake the cakes for 35–45 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, and top with chopped mint.

Courtesy Cafe Osage

Courtesy Cafe Osage

Spinach & Gruyere Souffle from Café Osage chef Scott Davis

“This is my family’s version of breakfast for dinner or sometimes it’s our version dinner for breakfast. Adapted from Maman’s Cheese Souffle by Jacques Pepin, it’s elegant, comforting, and our kids seem to love it.

“Don’t be intimidated by souffle, this recipe lacks the fussy steps while reminding you that making bechamel is simple. You can swap out the spinach or cheese to match what you have on hand. Kale and cheddar? Why not? But I wouldn’t skip on the parm! It browns the sides and bottom and makes a nice crust.

“Double the recipe and make it in a 6 cup baking dish. Perfect dish for a small crowd, it serves 2-3 as a main and is also a great side dish.”

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups grated gruyere, divided

Directions

1. Set oven to 400. Prepare a small pan (I use a 6″ cast iron, but anything that will hold 2 1/2 cups should work), coat the inside with 2 teaspoons of the butter and spread the half the parmesan cheese to cover, set aside.
2. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter. Add the flour and whisk to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute, you’re not looking for color.
3. Add the milk and gently whisk continuously for 2 minutes and allow to come to a simmer. Turn off heat, sauce should be thick. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the sauce. Next, microplane the garlic clove straight in to the sauce. Finally stir in the spinach, continue to mix until wilted. Let the sauce cool, about ten minutes.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Slowly add the warm (not hot!) sauce and 1 1/2 cups of the gruyere to the eggs. Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and top with remaining gruyere. 
5. Transfer to the oven and bake undisturbed for 20-25 minutes. The souffle will rise and brown along the sides. 
6. Remove from oven, top with remaining parmesan and serve immediately. 

Courtesy Taco Buddha

Courtesy Taco Buddha

Migas with New Mexico Red Chile Ranchero Sauce from Taco Buddha founder and owner Kurt Eller

“Migas are the perfect egg dish for brunch,” Eller says. “They’re spicy and gooey with the cheese melted in. They’re perfect to put into a tortilla as well… Migas means ‘crumbs’ in Spanish. Thrifty people didn’t want to waste stale corn tortilla chips, so they’d sauté them up with their eggs and other items. They’re especially popular on weekends to cure hangovers and precipitate a quality nap.”

Ingredients

For the migas:

• ¼ cup jalapeños, chopped, not seeded
• ¼ cup onions, chopped
• ¼ cup tomatoes, chopped
• ½ Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp hatch green chile, chopped
• ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips, crushed into 1-inch pieces
• ½ cup shredded jack cheese
• 6 eggs, scrambled
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the New Mexico Red Chile Ranchero Sauce:

• 40 dried red chile pods, de-stemmed and seeded
• 6 cups water at room temperature
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

For the Migas:

1. Add vegetable oil to a pan over medium heat. Sauté jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and green chile for one minute.
2. Add crushed tortilla chips and scrambled eggs.
3. Add cheese to almost-done eggs, and mix. (Don’t overcook the mixture).
4. Season to taste.
5. Top each serving with two tablespoons of New Mexico Red Chile Ranchero Sauce.

For the New Mexico Red Chile Ranchero Sauce:

1. Over a large mixing bowl, break the stems off the pods and shake out the seeds. Break the pods into smaller pieces, and drop the pieces into a waiting strainer.
2. Once all the pods are broken, rinse with water and place in a large pot. Add the water, onion, garlic, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 10–20 minutes, until the pods are softened.
4. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Puree using an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender. If you are using a blender, puree in batches until the consistency is smooth.
6. Transfer to a waiting bowl and puree the next batch.
7. Serve on top of Migas.