Filled Crepes A Mother’s Day Brunch

when crepes were all the rage?

There were crepes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were crepes for appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. It was in the seventies, and I had a barrel of fun teaching friends how to make, fill, and serve crepes. We made dozens of variations.

Crepes were so popular that there were special pans made so that you could simply heat the inverted pan, dip it into the thin, eggy batter and cook a thin-skinned crepe coating. I think I bought mine for about eight dollars and sold it later in a rummage sale for a dime.

Crepes are still a terrific base for a Mother’s Day brunch menu, mainly because there are so many ways you can go with them. The crepes can be made ahead, and you can choose many different ways to fill and serve them.

Here are a couple of fun ideas for a special brunch. Just make a bunch of crepes ahead and freeze them as I direct here. Then, fill them and bake them.

Basic Crepes

edges look dry and the crepe begins to brown on the bottom side. Loosen the edge of the crepe with a rubber spatula, then with your fingertips, quickly flip and cook about a half minute more. Slide out from the pan and repeat. You can stack the crepes one on top of the other until you are finished.

If you wish to store the crepes, wrap the finished crepes airtight in a zip top baggie and refrigerate or freeze for later use. It is handy to place a piece of waxed paper between crepes so that when you wish to take out only a certain number from the freezer, it is easier to do so by just counting them out and lifting out the right number. Otherwise, just let crepes thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours, remove what you need, rewrap, and refreeze.

Ham and Egg Brunch Crepes

Makes 4 breakfast or brunch servings

4 crepes

8 slices very thinly sliced ham or prosciutto

4 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced ½ sweet onion, chopped

8 crepes

1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese, divided ¼ cup butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

Place a 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle the oil into the pan. Add the chicken and onion and cook, stirring, until the chicken has turned white and the onion is soft.

Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 400°F.

3 eggs

½ cup each cold milk and water

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons melted butter

Measure all the ingredients into a blender and process at top speed until the flour is worked in, scraping sides of blender as you go. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Place an 8-inch crepe or omelet pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into it. Lightly butter or grease the pan. Pour batter into the pan, swoosh it around quickly then pour out the excess batter (do this quickly to get a thin crepe.)

Place over heat again and cook until the

Chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 4 crepes on a rimmed baking sheet. Place 2 slices of ham on each crepe. Crack 1 egg into the center of each and fold the edges toward the center. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake about 12 minutes until the egg white is set but the yolk is still soft. Top with chives and serve.

Chicken Chile Crepes

Makes 4 dinner servings, 2 filled crepes apiece

You can use leftover chicken here, simply add to the sautéed onion and proceed.

Divide the cooked chicken and onion mixture evenly between the 8 crepes. Add 1 ½ tablespoons cheese to each and roll each up to enclose the filling. Place seam-side down into the prepared baking dish.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in the chicken broth and bring to boiling, stirring. Cook until thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and green chilies; pour the sauce evenly over the crepes in the pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and sauce near the edges of the baking dish is bubbly. Visit