I have a lot of memories of bringing my mom breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. Those childhood memories tell me that my siblings and I must have accomplished this every single year, arranging a tray with an orange juice glass, a mug of coffee, a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, and a bowl with loads of fresh fruit. Every year, we must have knocked all the dishes together on each step up the stairs as we struggled for balance. Every Mother’s Day, we must have whispered to decide who would knock on the door and announce what treasures we had made.
Sometimes I wonder if my mother has as many memories of this as I do. Did we really bring her breakfast in bed every Mother’s Day, or did it just seem so special and feel like so much work that one measly time has expanded to epic proportions?
Sigh. I hope we made her nice breakfasts every year. She’s a wise and compassionate lady with a laugh that puts others at ease, and she certainly deserved the most amazing breakfast her kids could whip up.
If I lived close enough to my mom to make her a nice breakfast or brunch this year, I’ve decided on the meal I would make. There are plenty of possibilities for sweet, savory and satisfying breakfasts. Frittatas are easy, filling and tasty. Or you could make a parfait chock-full of fruit. Or super healthy oatmeal with a rich and spicy compote. You could even make her a rosemary latte for a beverage treat.
All of those would be delicious, but this year, just for something different, I would make savory crepes, filled with cheddar cheese, apples, caramelized onions and ham. Here’s how you can make them for your mom or your Mother’s Day gathering. Try them with fresh, local Vidalia onions and some of the local gourmet cheese available in our farm market!
PrintHam & Cheddar Crepes with Apples and Onions
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: makes 8 crepes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Traditional
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for crepes (see below)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced very thin
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced
- 1/3 pound ham (can be good-quality lunch meat ham, or any other kind of ham you like), shredded
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are browned but not burned (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Toss apple slices in brown sugar in a bowl. Heat butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the apples in a single layer (in batches if necessary) and cook them until they are soft, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the crepes, then fill them with a slice of cheese, a spoonful of caramelized onions, several apple slices and some ham.
- Roll them up and serve.
As for the crepes themselves, I’ve made this recipe from Allrecipes.com many times and it always turns out well. (Sometimes the first one isn’t as pretty as the rest, but I just eat that one before anyone can see it.) Make sure the pan is about the size of the crepes you want to make and only use a little bit of oil, especially if you have a non-stick pan. Otherwise, the first few crepes will drown in oil! You can also add a pinch or two of nutmeg to the flour, and this will blend nicely with the apples and ham once you add those.
This recipe makes rich, filling crepes. Serve them with a salad or a bowl of fruit and everyone around the table will know for sure that this is a special day indeed.
Article written by Rebecca Talbot and coordinated by VanDuzer Design & Marketing for Wolff’s Apple House and may also be syndicated on Fig: West Chester and Rachel’s Farm Table.