Banana Bread and Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole

Rebekah Iliff
Oct 2
2 min read

Straight from my mother-in-law's kitchen, two crowd pleasers for any family gathering

One of the many mysteries of marriage, at least in my case, is how a family’s culinary gifts don’t always transfer by osmosis. My mother-in-law, for example, is a bona fide kitchen magician. The woman can conjure up banana bread so moist it could double as dessert or breakfast—or both, if you’re living right—and casseroles that practically hum hymns of comfort straight out of the oven. She not only mastered these recipes, she had the foresight to pass them down to her children, who whip them up with ease and flair, like it’s second nature. Meanwhile, I’m still the one standing in the kitchen staring at the oven timer like it’s a NASA launch sequence.

And yet, there’s no better place to be than around her table when these dishes are served. They’re not just recipes; they’re traditions, stitched together with family stories, plenty of laughter, and usually some friendly commentary about whether the casserole got “enough cheese this time.” (Spoiler: it always does.)

So, from the heart of my mother-in-law’s kitchen, and despite my lack of inherited culinary genius, I bring you two recipes guaranteed to win hearts and stomachs this season.

RECIPES

Mona’s Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar
½ cup of shortening
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups of flour
½ cup nuts (baker’s choice)
2 cups banana

Instructions:

Blend 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup of shortening, and 1 tsp. baking soda in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Grease bread pan (Crisco preferred). Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Let cool for one hour.

Weaver Family Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole