Every year, at both the Mountain State Fair and the North Carolina State Fair, the NC Egg Association holds a recipe contest. This year, here are the winners:
Rainbow Quiche
2015 Mountain State Fair – First Place winner: Sharon Gates
One refrigerated pie crust for 9″ pan
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup corn kernels (cut from 1 ear, or 1/2 cup frozen niblets)
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
6 large eggs
1-1/4 cups low fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 9″ deep dish pie dish with refrigerated pie crust and flute edges as desired. In a large frying pan, sauté onion, green pepper, and red pepper in butter until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add corn and black beans and stir until heated through, 2-3 additional minutes.
Pour vegetable mixture into the bottom of the pie crust and cover with shredded cheese. In a mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, salt & pepper and whisk together well. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.
Bake 50-60 minutes or until center is set.
Serves 6
Egg & Polish Sausage Stuffed Potatoes
2015 Mountain State Fair – 2nd Place Winner: Gina Sprinkle
4 baking potatoes (medium-large size)
4 Tablespoons Butter (melted)
1/2 cup Colby Jack cheese
1/2 pound Polish sausage (diced)
2 raw Jalapeño peppers (seeded and chopped)
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash potatoes well & bake in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes. Sauté sausage, peppers, onions, salt and pepper 5-10 minutes.
Cut top off of potato, long ways. Remove inside of potatoes & save for another use, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato next to skin. Brush inside of potatoes with melted butter. Add 1/8 cup cheese to each potato skin. Divide sausage mixture evenly into the skins. Crack one egg on top of each potato. Bake 20 minutes at 350 F.
Easy Cheesy Cheddar Chive Soufflé
2015 Mountain State Fair – 3rd Place winner: Nate Worley
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons butter (plus extra to grease ramekins)
3 Tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cup hot milk
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese grated
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped chives
5 egg whites mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Salt & Pepper
Grease the inside of the ramekins with butter & sprinkle parmesan cheese inside. Place in the freezer 5-6 minutes (so the parmesan sticks) Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In a sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in the flour & pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Pour in the hot milk & turn the heat to high, and whisk well to blend. Keep whisking and when it reaches a boil, remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Temper by adding a little of the hot milk/flour mixture into them while whisking. Pour the tempered yolks in the saucepan of mixture & whisk in the cheddar, mustard, chives, & a pinch of salt & pepper.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites, water & cream of tartar together with a mixer until soft peaks from. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites at a time into the yolk mixture until all is blended. Fold in gently so the egg whites don’t deflate!
Pour mixture in ramekins to the top. Place on a sheet pan a bake 25 minutes.
Serve immediately for pretty puffy presentation. But they are still delicious when the soufflés deflate as they cool!
Makes: 4 – 8 ounce Ramekins OR 5 – 6 ounce Ramekins
The Anytime of Day Egg Braid
2015 Mountain State Fair – Honorable Mention: Lacey Grogan
Ingredients:
1/3 of a 10 oz box of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed & well drained
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
6 EGGS
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed
1 cup diced ham
1 cup Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 can refrigerated Pizza crust
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
Poppy seeds
Directions:
Thaw and drain broccoli; set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onion and pepper until tender in butter. Beat together eggs, milk, salt, basil and ham until blended. Pour over vegetables in pan. Gently scramble eggs until thickened but still moist. Remove from heat; set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss together broccoli, cheese, and lemon juice. Set aside. Unroll dough onto lightly greased baking sheet and stretch until it forms 14 x 9 inch. Spread egg mixture in a 3 inch wide strip lengthwise down center of dough. Top with reserved broccoli mixture. Preheat oven to 375 F. Use pizza cutter and make cuts in dough at 1 inch intervals on both sides of rectangle, just to edge of filling. Fold dough over lapping and giving a braided appearance, In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and water. Brush top of dough with egg mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in a oven for 15 minutes. Loosely cover with foil. Cook an additional 10 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.
