In the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 17, the bustling kitchen of the Bandera American Legion saw a dedicated group of volunteer cooks and prep cooks gathering at 5:30 a.m.
Their mission: to kick off the 10th-anniversary celebration of the legion’s quarterly “God Bless America” Community Breakfast.
By 8:00 a.m., the doors swung open to welcome Bandera County residents for a culinary delight that has become a tradition over the past decade.
The “All American” menu featured made-to-order omelets with an array of add-on options, alongside pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, and biscuits adorned with a top-secret sausage gravy recipe — the subject of numerous failed espionage attempts, as we’ll delve into later in this report.
Legion Commander Susan Junker, doubling as a smiling barista, ensured guests had their choice of ice-cold orange juice or piping-hot fresh coffee.
Dennis Birchall, a dedicated Legionnaire who has spearheaded the event for the past ten years, reflected on its humble beginnings.
“It began as a simple idea to further outreach in our community,” Birchall explained. “We knew that Silver Sage Meals on Wheels was providing meals during the week, and we simply wanted to extend that into a weekend.”
Silver Sage Meals on Wheels addressed weekday needs, leaving weekends with only light breakfast options for some residents.
Recognizing this gap, the Legion decided to step in.
“The Bandera Community supports our Veterans, so we thought it was an effective way for us to reach back out to our local neighbors, and it’s hard to believe 10 years have slipped by since we posted those first advertising flyers for this now traditional Bandera breakfast. It is a terrific way for the Veterans and Bandera neighbors to mix,” Birchall added.
The logistics of hosting such an event are no small feat. Volunteers, operating with military precision, cracked 14 dozen eggs, prepared 24 pounds of sausage, 30 pounds of thick-sliced bacon, 5 pounds of ham, a gallon of salsa, omelet vegetables and add-ons, 250 flour biscuits, and concocted four gallons of the top-secret sausage gravy. Add to this five gallons of orange juice and approximately four gallons of coffee, all orchestrated through a made-to-order omelet food line.
“When we started doing these in 2014, we had just over one hundred people attend. Now, on average, we serve 200-250 free breakfasts, including our top-secret biscuits and sausage gravy,” Birchall revealed.
Notably, some veterans attend the breakfast solely for the elusive secret sausage gravy, which the legion guards with utmost secrecy. Attempts by this reporter to extract information were met with a stern denial, adhering to true military fashion.
While the breakfasts remain free to attendees, the legion encourages and graciously accepts donations.
Those willing to contribute can reach out to the American Legion Post at 830-796-7528 or visit them at 205 12th St. in Bandera on Wednesdays. Additionally, they can be found on Facebook for further information.
