Dan Pelosi's Easter brunch hacks for egg sandwiches and carrot cake are game-changers
Dan Pelosi is an expert on food and entertaining, especially when it comes to creating crowd-pleasing family favorites.
The Italian American food blogger, recipe developer and beloved social media star behind Grossy Pelosi shared his best Easter brunch hacks to help make life a little easier for anyone cooking and celebrating on Sunday.
When it comes to savory dishes, Pelosi suggests thinking a step ahead and shared a simple concept and recipe for making eggs more manageable for breakfast sandwiches.
"Cooking eggs for large groups can be difficult to time or do ahead, especially for everyone’s favorite -- the breakfast sandwich," Pelosi told "GMA." "My hack is to make a large sheet pan frittata ahead of time, slice it into squares and serve it room temp or reheated as the egg in your egg sandwich. I love the idea of making an Easter-inspired breakfast sandwich bar. Also all done ahead of time -- that includes the Easter ham in the breakfast sandwiches! So fun and interactive."
Sheet pan frittata recipe
Ingredients
18 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (or any other cheese)
1 1/2 cups chopped herbs like basil, chives, parsley or your favorites
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and apply nonstick spray or butter to a half sheet pan (18x13).
Scramble 18 eggs, half cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup of each herb together. Pour the egg mixture onto the sheet pan, and place into the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
While baking, set aside two cups of grated cheddar cheese. After 15 minutes, coat eggs with cheese and place back into the oven for the remaining 5 minutes until melted.
Use a spatula to cut the frittata into 12 4x4 pieces.
This can be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen, and placed back in the oven to warm and remelt cheese.
Easter brunch breakfast sandwich bar
Bread
Sweet rolls
English muffins
Biscuits
Meat
Ham off the bone /Spiral ham
BaconImpossible or plant-based meat alternative
Toppings
Roasted red peppers/Peppadew peppers
Tomatoes, sliced
Avocado
Arugula
Jalapenos
Pickled onions
Apricot jam
Whole grain mustard
Honey mustard sauce
50/50 honey and mustard (dijon or spicy brown)
Spicy honey
Honey with chili flakes mixed in, as many as you like
Bacon bit mayo
Crumbled bacon and mayo
Herby mayo
Basil, flat leaf parsley, chives, chopped and mixed into mayo
Sandwich combos
Biscuit -- frittata with apricot jam and bacon
Sweet roll -- frittata with ham, hot honey/honey mustard, roasted peppers and arugula
English muffin -- frittata with ham, avocado, pickled onions and herby mayo/bacon bit mayo
As for something sweet, Pelosi said his favorite Easter dessert is a classic carrot cake. "My mom’s recipe contains the ultimate hack -- baby food," Pelosi said "It makes it incredibly flavorful and moist, and it saves you so much time grating carrots."
Mom's carrot cake
Ingredients
Cake
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour (see note for possible swap)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts (see note for possible swap)
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, strained (see note for possible swap)
2 4-ounce jars carrot baby food
Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir all cake ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Grease a Bundt pan with cooking spray, and pour in the batter. Two round pans make a lovely layer cake, and a 13x9" sheet pan makes a lovely sheet cake. Cupcakes are perfect here as well and usually take about 20-25 minutes to bake, yielding about two dozen.
Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely on a rack.
Now, make the frosting. Beat 16 ounces cream cheese, 2 sticks unsalted butter and 3 cups powdered sugar together in a stand mixer.
Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat 4 to 6 minutes, until fluffy and white.
Use a bit of frosting to hold cake in place, then flip it out onto a stand or plate. Frost casually. Decorate with whole walnuts on top for extra nostalgia.
Place cake in the fridge, and let it get cold. I find it’s best after as much time in the fridge as possible, and it's shelf-life is amazing! Like, eat it on day four for breakfast kind of shelf-life.
Notes:
-- Gluten-free all-purpose 1:1 flour can be used.
-- Any other nut can be used, or nuts can be left out altogether.
-- If you have a pineapple allergy, mashed bananas or apple sauce can be used.
