Rosebud Kitchen

From the outside, Rosebud Kitchen already portrays the traditional American diner, sporting a trailer with a retro sign on top.  Unbeknownst to outsiders, it also expands into a connected building, and has patio seating for warmer months.  The interior is dressed with rich luxurious leather booths and chairs, a beautiful bar, and personalized mugs, table mats, etc.  The ambiance alone would make anyone book a reservation for the next available seating.

Rosebud Kitchen is open for brunch on the weekends, lunch on Friday, and dinner everyday.

The picture above was the Croque Madame off of their brunch menu, and it was heavenly.  Toasted bread with béchamel, mustard, ham, gruyere cheese, and an egg.  Talk about decadence on a plate!  The béchamel is creamy and combines with the tangy mustard.  The gruyere cheese has a nutty salty flavor that pairs well with the slightly sweet ham, and the egg oozes all over the sandwich when you cut into it.  This meal is perfect for a cold winter Sunday and will stick to your ribs!

I have also been to Rosebud’s for dinner where I had the grilled swordfish served with butternut squash, mushroom & parmesan risotto, which was also delicious.  The swordfish cut like butter and the risotto was a perfect balance from the added saltiness of the parmesan and sweet butternut squash.

Rosebud’s is definitely a place I will return to time and time again.  Check out their wonderful menu here and then make a reservation ASAP.

Croque Madame Casserole

After dining at the MET Bar, I was in a croque madame state of mind, and decided to whip up a deconstructed version from My Invisible Crown.  It was amazing.  It was so savory from the nutty gruyere cheese, creamy béchamel, and salty leftover Christmas ham.  It is a perfect winter meal because it sticks to your bones.  It would also make a great brunch.  I served it alongside an easy spinach salad.  This recipe is a keeper and I’ll definitely be making it in the near future!

Croque Madame Casserole (serves around 10)

10 cups cubed day old brioche loaf

1 1/2 cups milk

3 1/2 cups cooked ham diced

4-5 tablespoons butter

4-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups cream or half and half

4 cups gruyere, grated

2 cups parmesan, grated

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon olive oil

7-9 eggs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place the bread in a large casserole dish.  Pour the milk over it.

Heat the ham with the olive oil in a pan until it turns a golden color.  Scatter on top of the bread mixture.

Heat the butter and flour over high heat to start making the rue.  Add the half and half and cook until it thickens after boiling.  Add in salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add in the cheese and mix until everything is completely melted.  Pour over the bread mixture and stir to combine.

Grate any additional cheese on top if you would like.

Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Take out the dish and make indentations in the casserole for eggs to rest in.  Crack eggs and place in the little divets.  Cook in the oven on broil for around 7 minutes or until the egg whites set.  Serve it up and enjoy!

Potato Spinach Gruyere Frittata

This recipe was concocted with the leftovers in my fridge.  Very versatile and easy to whip together, this dish is a lifesaver.  Feel free to change the add-ins and eat whatever time of day you want!

Potato Spinach Gruyere Frittata (makes one pie pan)

1 1/2 cups Home Fries (or any type of cooked potato)

1 1/2 cups of cubed Gruyere cheese

6 cups of spinach

6 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for the pie dish)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

grated parmesan to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Coat the inside of a pie dish with some olive oil.  Place in the oven for 3 minutes so it gets hot.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl.  Add the salt and pepper.

Place the olive oil in a skillet with the spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted at medium heat.  Add the home fries and cook until everything is warm.

Place the skillet mixture in the warm pie plate.  Place the cubed cheese on top.  Pour the egg mixture over all the other ingredients.  Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.

Place pie plan on a baking sheet.  Place in the oven and cook for around 50 minutes.  The center should be set and the edges nicely golden brown.

I mean just look at that cheesy goodness!  I love Gruyere cheese because it is firm and keeps the frittata solid instead of runny.  You could also use Swiss or Gouda.  Next time I think I will add in minced garlic when I am cooking the spinach.  Hope you like it!

This was me trying to be artsy as I flipped the frittata out of the pie plate.  However, I think I prefer it unflipped because you can see the cheerful eggy color.

French Eggs Cocotte with Gruyere

My mom is French, so there’s always a lot of French cooking going on at home. Today, I’m sharing with you a very simple, and easy French “oeufs cocottes” dish that is cooked in the oven. ( In French, “oeufs cocottes” literally means “eggs in pots”).  It makes individual servings in small ramequins so you can make as many or as few as you want. There are no precise measurements, so feel free to experiment! For example, you can add different cheeses, or small cubes of ham or smoked salmon. Pair this with salad, bread, or charcuterie for a scrumptious brunch or a light meal.

Below are the directions for just one egg, so repeat the recipe for as many as you need!

Ingredients

1 egg

1 tablespoon of sour cream

1 tablespoon of gruyere cheese (add more or less depending on how much you like cheese)

A couple small slices of chives

salt

pepper

A tiny slice of butter to butter the ramequin

Directions

Preheat oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter the ramequin to ensure that the egg doesn’t stick to the edges of the recipient.

Crack the egg in the ramequin. Drop in a spoonful of sour cream. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Then add chives, salt, and pepper. Again, as I mentioned before, you can add little pieces of meat or salmon to vary the recipe.

Then put the ramequin in the oven, and cook it for about 6-8 minutes. If you make more than one, you will probably have to cook the eggs for longer. Et Voila!

Bon Appetit!