This is a follow-up post to Sunday's ~ Bread Cheese: A Very Old Baltic Breakfast Treat ~, which was more of an "ode to bread cheese", or a tutorial on, "what to do with bread cheese", than a recipe. I ended the post by saying that when I experimented with some culinary uses for bread cheese (salads &/or sandwiches), I would share them. When I published the post, I had no idea how well-received it would be. To my glee, 32 comments and 22 likes on Facebook, some of you went straight to the grocery store to buy bread cheese! Here's a short recap:
A bit about bread cheese: "Justoleipa" (hoo-stah-lee-pah) or "squeeky cheese", has been produced in Finland and Sweden for over 200 years. Originally made from reindeer milk, nowadays, commercial versions like the one I have here are made from pasteurized cow's milk. It is unique in that it is baked during the cheesemaking process, which gives it a light-brown, tasty crust.
There is no bread in bread cheese. It gets its name for two reasons: 1) It looks like toasted bread when it is heated (and when it is heated it does not melt, it just softens), and; 2) It's traditionally eaten (plain and unheated, or, sauted and warm) as a rich breakfast treat topped with sweets like jam, honey or syrup. Beneath the crust, the cheese is smooth, sweet, rich, buttery and mild with a hint of salt. Does it squeek? When you bite into it (when it's warm), yes it does!
I'm always looking for EASY ideas for breakfast sandwiches, especially during the Fall football season. Since I have a block of bread cheese leftover from my Sunday post, I'm making some slider-sized sandwiches with it that will be perfect to serve for brunch at any Penn State tailgate!
When it comes to tailgate, I do not make biscuits from scratch because I need a lot, 3-4 dozen. I also like to bake them the night before. I use:
1 12-ounce tube Grands junior-size biscuits (one tube makes 10)
~ Step 1. Place 10 biscuits on a 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake on center rack of 375 degree oven 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven, cool, and slice.
Note: If you are baking them a day ahead, cool completely and cover with plastic wrap until the morning.
I do not waste time making slider-sized sausage patties from scratch either. Our local Sam's Club carries an excellent brand that comes in boxes of 30. They are the perfect size and I keep a box of them in my freezer at all times. I don't even thaw them prior to frying them, but that is your choice. Note: Frozen patties take a bit longer to cook.
~ Step 2. In a 12" skillet, fry 10 small-sized sausage patties over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, turning only once (using a spatula), about 4-5 minutes per side.
Using the spatula, transfer to a plate, cover with aluminum foil and set aside to keep warm.
Note: Do not remove the flavorful sausage drippings from the pan.
~ Step 3. In a 2-cup measuring container, using a fork, whisk together:
5 large eggs, at room temperature (1 egg for every two sandwiches)
enough milk to total 1 1/2 cups liquid
~ Step 4. Add the egg mixure to the sausage drippings in the pan.
~ Step 5. Lightly sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Over medium-low heat, cook, without stirring, until the eggs are set, about 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat as you go, to prevent browning, and, poke any air holes that form with a fork.
~ Step 6. Using a 2"-2 1/4" round cookie cutter, cut the eggs into 10 rounds, transfer to a plate and cover to with foil to keep warm.
~ Step 7. Now, you're going to need:
5, 1 1/2" squares of bread cheese that has been slice in half to form 10 thin squares of bread cheese
~ Step 8. In the same skillet, place the cheese, "crust" side up. Over medium heat, fry until cheese is softened and golden brown on both sides, turning only once, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Assemble as pictured below and drizzle with maple syrup at serving time:
The Sausage, Egg & 'Bread Cheese' Biscuit Slider: Recipe yields 10 hearty, slider-sized sandwiches.
Special Equipment List: 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pan; parchment paper; 12" nonstick skillet; nonstick spatula; aluminum foil; 2-cup measuring container; fork; 2"-2 1/4"-round cookie cutter (or a knife); serrated bread knife
Cook's Note: Assembled sandwiches can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and reheated in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or, wrapped in aluminum foil and reheated in a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Remember to make plenty because the average man can eat 2-3!
Extra Cook's Note: To learn more about the traditional uses for this unique ingredient, read my post ~ Bread Cheese: A Very Old Baltic Breakfast Treat ~, which can be found in Category 9!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2012)
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