Breakfast at the Andon-Reid Inn B&B is meant to be an experience – one that allows our guests to have a leisurely, relaxing morning surrounded by mountain views, great company, and gourmet food, crafted and plated with care and creativity. Avid followers of our blog will know that we pride ourselves on a “familiar yet unique” culinary philosophy, combining classic breakfast and brunch flavors, presented with a unique flair. We like to think of our breakfast experience at the Inn as a great way to add some “slow food” culture to your getaway. Instead of rushing around on your vacation, we invite you to wake up slowly and take your time with the best meal of the day. Savor every bite, enjoy the company of your travel companion(s) or other guests, and immerse yourself in some good old-fashioned southern Appalachian hospitality.
Each day at breakfast, it’s an absolute joy to see people gathered around the tables, enjoying their meals and being present in the moment. It’s even better when a guest pulls Brenda and Peter aside and asks us for the recipe for the meal they just enjoyed. Most folks assume that we wouldn’t provide them, but we are always happy to share! We’ve even been asked repeatedly if we will ever write a cookbook! Perhaps someday we will take that leap, but in the meantime, we’ve described below a few of our most requested recipes:
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal with Homemade Almond Chantilly Cream
Our Baked Blueberry Oatmeal is far and away our most requested recipe. So many folks are surprised at how decadent and delightful oatmeal can be when prepared in this manner. We start this dish with a flavorful oatmeal mixture that can be gluten-free or dairy-free with just a few simple substitutions (like almond milk, coconut oil, etc.) that won’t detract from the flavor. The oatmeal mixture uses maple syrup and applesauce for natural sweetness and binding, plus a warm, pleasing mix of nutmeg and cinnamon, to complement the blueberries. The mixture is baked in a baking dish and cut into circles with a biscuit cutter. We then top it with homemade almond Chantilly cream (a sweeter version of whipped cream) and sliced almonds. Our plates always include a side dish and fresh fruit, and this dish goes well with scrambled eggs or sausage links, along with some refreshing watermelon.
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce
This was one of the first recipes we added to the menu at the Inn when we became Innkeepers. This recipe is one of our “starters”, which is meant to be a smaller dish to whet the appetite. Panna cotta is an Italian dish of cooked sweet cream and is like an elegant vanilla pudding that pairs well with many different types of sauces. Our panna cotta has just four ingredients (cream, sugar, vanilla, and gelatin) and is turned out onto the center of a plate and topped with a fresh berry sauce that drizzles down the sides of the panna cotta. While this is definitely “dessert for breakfast”, it’s light and delicate and a great pairing with a savory main course.
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Flautas with Lime Crema and Strawberry Avocado Pico de Gallo
Chef Peter’s favorite dish, our breakfast flautas are a unique, elevated spin on the classic breakfast flavor combination of sausage, egg, and cheese. This is one meal where we always serve the same side dish – Strawberry Avocado Pico de Gallo. Inside the flautas, we include fluffy scrambled eggs, Hickory Nut Gap sausage, colby-jack cheese, and salsa verde taco sauce for a bit of a kick. The fillings are rolled tightly inside a flour tortilla, brushed with olive oil, and baked until crispy. We drizzle a zesty lime crema on top and serve alongside a pico de gallo of strawberries, mangos, avocados, red onion, cilantro, honey, and lime juice. Put some of this pico on the fork with a bite of the flautas, and there’s just so much flavor! This is a dish in which we take particular pride!
Pecan Monkey Bread with Creme Anglaise
Another one of our starter courses, we’ve taken the classic monkey bread and shrunk it down elegantly to a small, decadent portion for each guest. We’ve also combined it with one of our favorite things to make and serve: luscious creme anglaise sauce! For this preparation, we roll small pieces of biscuit dough in cinnamon sugar and bake them in a muffin tin combined with layers of brown sugar, butter, and toasted pecans. The mini-monkey breads are flipped out onto a pool of our homemade Creme Anglaise, which is a wonderfully velvety custard sauce with four simple ingredients – egg yolks, sugar, cream and vanilla; it tastes just like ice cream! The warmth of the Monkey Bread and the cool, smooth texture of the creme anglaise is a fabulous combination, if we do say so ourselves!
Perhaps someday we will put together a cookbook, but for now, follow us on Instagram or sign up for our monthly newsletter as we periodically post pictures and descriptions of our dishes and baked goods. Serving breakfast to our guests is a labor of love and one of the things that makes the job of Innkeeper so rewarding each day. We get to be creative, express ourselves, and put our heart and soul into giving travelers a great experience and a chance to slow down, savor, and simply enjoy one of the pleasures in life, good food. For more details on the full B&B experience at the Andon-Reid, check out our blog post that describes it all, from booking to check-out!
We can’t wait to serve you breakfast at the Inn soon!
–Your Innkeepers,
Brenda and Peter
