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Beignets Makes about 2 dozen beignets Even if you don’t have the Café du Monde mix, you can still make beignets from scratch.

Dust beignets with confectioners’ sugar, or place them in a paper bag, a few at a time, with a generous amount of confectioners’ sugar, and shake for a few seconds to coat. Serve hot.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 cup water 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon instant or fast-rising yeast 3 cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2 quarts canola oil Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Breakfast Casserole Serves 8 to 10

This casserole has everything that’s great about breakfast — and you can make it ahead of time, so it’s perfect for Mardi Gras morning. WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 (14-inch) French bread, ends trimmed 1 pound fresh green onion pork sausage, casings removed 2 green onions, finely chopped ½ small yellow onion, finely chopped 3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese 12 large eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce HOW TO PREP: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower- middle positions and heat oven to 400°F. Slice bread in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Spread bread in single layers on 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping bread and switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through. Let cool 15 minutes. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Grease 9"x13" casserole dish. Shingle half of the slices of bread in the casserole dish so that edges overlap slightly. Top with half of sausage mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining sausage mixture and remaining cheese. Whisk eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper in large bowl. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole, pressing it into the bread as you go. (You want the bread to be really wet.) Cover casserole with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 1 day. Adjust oven rack to middle position and 1½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper Bacon, feta cheese and chopped green onions for garnish

HOW TO PREP: Activate the yeast: Heat water to 110°F. Combine hot water, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and yeast in large bowl, and let sit until the yeast dissolves and foams, about 5 minutes. Combine flour, remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and salt in second bowl. Whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons of the oil into yeast mixture. Add flour mixture and stir vigorously with rubber spatula until dough comes together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet. Line second sheet with parchment paper and dust heavily with flour. When the dough has rested, turn out half of it on well-floured surface and pat into rough rectangle with floured hands, flipping to coat with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into ¼-inch- thick rectangle, roughly 9"x12". Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut dough into 12 (3-inch) squares and transfer to floured sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Add enough of remaining oil to large Dutch oven to measure about 1½ inches deep, and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F. Place 6 beignets in oil and spoon oil over the top of each of them. Fry until a consistent golden brown, about 3 minutes, flipping beignets over halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325°F and 350°F. Using slotted spoon or spider, transfer beignets to prepared wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Return oil to 350°F and repeat with remaining beignets.

heat oven to 350°F. Let casserole stand at room temperature while oven is heating. Bake uncovered until the edges and center have puffed, cheese is bubbling and

top is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Garnish with bacon, feta cheese and chopped green

onions and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

50 ROUSES JANUARY FEBRUARY 2021