Innkeeper secrets revealed!-Part 2

Welcome to the continuance of my series, in which I reveal more of the tips and tricks that innkeepers use in the kitchen to be efficient and well-prepared for guests, with the goal of creating more breathing room for you, to experience more peace and joy in this season. If you have missed the introduction and the first installment, you can find them here and here. Make sure to visit, as there are wonderful ideas and tips. At the end of the series this week, I will have a gift for you: a free PDF download that includes all of these great ideas along with the recipes that just made our guests dream about our hearty, homemade breakfasts and afternoon treats!

So without further ado, let’s get cooking!

Baking bacon

Yes, baking the bacon. It keeps the splatters away from you and the counter, and frees up the stovetop and you for other things. Take the package of bacon out of the fridge and cut it in half lengthwise, giving you twice as many slices. Didn’t see that coming, did you? We innkeepers are just full of surprises! Grab a baking sheet with sides and line it with aluminum foil, and extend the foil up over the edges. You can use parchment paper as well, but it won’t extend over the edges of the pan.

Do NOT use a baking sheet without edges! The grease will run off it and into your oven and you will rue the day you met me, and possibly start a fire. Place the bacon with a little space between each slice-you will be able to make much more efficient use of the sheet with your new shorter slices-and put it into a pre-heated 400 degree oven. The bacon will cook to golden brown, surprisingly flat perfection in about 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven and the bacon, with practically no splatter.

If your oven doesn’t cook evenly, feel free to turn the pan around once at the halfway point of cooking. While this method doesn’t require the moment-to-moment attention that frying takes, it still needs your attentive eye the last few minutes to keep it from burning. Once it is ready, take it out and lay it on paper towels or flattened paper bags to drain.

If you would like your bacon to have a little extra yummy flavor, sprinkle it with brown sugar before putting it into the oven.

BE CAREFUL. You are dealing with hot bacon grease. For legal reasons, I need to tell you that we are all adults here, and by using these suggestions, YOU are the sole responsible party, YOU still have to be safe and smart and I am not liable if you burn or hurt yourself or someone else.

You can bake a day, a week or more in advance, and keep the bacon in the freezer or fridge. Just hide it, or it will disappear like your kids when you holler, “Time to clean up!”. Heat it briefly in the microwave just before you are ready to serve, and voila!, you have easy breezy bacon, for breakfast, for BLT’s, or just snacking.

Diced seasoned potatoes

You may have a favorite recipe for these roasted potatoes, but allow me to share a hint. We would scrub and dice the potatoes the night before (no peeling!), rinse them off and put them in a bowl, covered completely by cold water. Cover the bowl (handiwrap is fine) and put it in the refrigerator overnight. We’ve left potatoes in the fridge as long as twelve hours and as short as one, although our preference is at least a few hours. In the morning we would thoroughly rinse the potatoes in a colander, season and then bake on a sheet pan with a lipped edge, lined with non-stick aluminum foil. The time in the water accomplished several goals: the messy part was done way before the meal, the soaking removed a lot of starch and also created a slightly creamier center and crisper outer shell during roasting. Mmmmm!

Make ahead coffee cake

There are a gazillion coffee cake recipes, but one in particular got consistently high marks. It was very simple to make, just as easy to double, and it tasted just as fresh after having spent time in the freezer. This cake can be used for breakfast or brunch, with just some simple fruit on the side if you like, or for unexpected guests for afternoon coffee or tea.

Pancakes

Ok. Here it is. The mother lode. The Holy Grail. One of the best kept secrets of all. As a matter of fact, once this is published, I will probably have to go into hiding because there is an Innkeeper Code of Silence to which I was supposed to adhere. Or not.

So, to get fluffy, amazing pancakes…..go to Amazon, and buy this product:

No, I’m not kidding. It is a mix. It’s a big package of mix, but you can always split it with friends or family. Again, I’m sharing with you our experience. We started out making the mixes from scratch, but quickly found that with Krusty’s, we always had rave reviews, no waste, and could always make just a few more if needed. I would say it rates a 10 on the Wow Factor Scale for cost and ease of use. You mix it with water—nothing else!—and cook.

There is your new secret stash of ideas for today. Now you can make those special occasion breakfasts anytime with a just little preparation before hand!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the next installment of the series, and the free PDF which includes all these tips, plus some of the tried and true recipes we served at the Inn!

Here is the link: Innkeeper Secrets Part 3