Overnight French Toast Bake

 

Ingredients
French Toast:

Nonstick cooking spray, for coating baking dish
One 8-ounce whole wheat baguette, cut into twenty-four 1/4-inch slices
One 12-ounce can evaporated fat-free milk
1 cup reduced-fat (2-percent) milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
4 large eggs

Topping:

1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

For the French toast: Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the bread slices on the diagonal in 3 rows in the dish, slightly overlapping the slices.

Whisk together the evaporated milk, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, salt and eggs until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices, taking care to evenly coat the bread. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil from the baking dish and spoon any remaining egg mixture over the top of the bread pieces to assure they are evenly moistened.

For the topping: Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and the cinnamon. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes.

Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup and serve.
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Sweet Potato Praline Casserole

Ingredients:

• 5 large sweet potatoes or yams
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup (1/4 pound) softened butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Scrub the sweet potatoes or yams well and place them in the oven. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes, and remove. When they are cool enough to handle, halve them and scoop out the insides into a large mixing bowl. Mash well. You should have about 3 cups. 

Mix the softened butter into the mashed yams or sweet potatoes along with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Pour the mixture into a baking pan or casserole dish. 

Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it reaches the soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and the chopped pecans. Pour this mixture over the yams. Bake until very hot and beginning to brown.

Serves: Serves 6 - 8.

N'awlins Recipe

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Ingredients

• 2 (40 ounce) cans Sweet Potatoes {yams} drained - save juice from 1 can
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups {or more} mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Lightly spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray
2. Drain Sweet Potatoes, saving the juice from 1 can and spread in prepared dish
3. In a small saucepan on the stove, melt the butter, then add brown sugar, whisk until sugar is dissolved - about 2 minutes
4. Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of the reserved juice to the brown sugar mixture and heat about 3 minutes, do not boil
5. Pour over sweet potatoes
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows
8. Turn oven up a bit, about 400, and return dish to oven to brown the marshmallows for about 5 minutes. Watch closely.
9. Serve immediately.

Notes

Can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead, store in the fridge until time to cook.

Kristen Lefler from Pocket Change Gourmet

Dry Onion Soup Mix

2/3 c. minced onion, dried
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. sugar or sweetener
4 tsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper


Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in air tight container. Mix well before each use.

4 Tbsp. of dry onion soup mix will equal 1 package of store product mix.

To make Onion Dip:

Add 2-4 Tbsp. dry mix to 1 pint of sour cream. Refrigerate over night for best results, as the minced onion needs to re-hydrate into the moisture.

The is also a great addition to meatloaf, pot roast, pork chops, etc. Be creative and let your imagination run wild!

Use within 6 months. Put label and date on container.


Servings: 16 Tablespoons

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Walnuts, Cranberry in Balsamic

1lb or less of fresh B.S.
3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon balsamic
2 tablespoon walnut pieces
2 tablespoons cranberries

preheat oven to 400. Clean B.S. and cut the end off to expose the sprout. Cut in half and peel some of the leaves off. Put sprouts and leaves into baking dish. Leaves get crunchy, so peel off a lot from the bigger sprouts. Toss with oil, then balsamic, add walnuts and cranberries and sea salt to taste. Put in oven for 10 minutes, stir and cook an additional 5 minutes. We like ours crunchy not soft, so try one to see if you like the doneness. If you like them softer, cook another 5 minutes.
May garnish with parmesan cheese.

Roan Bed and Breakfast Granola

Combine in large bowl:

• 6 cups of uncooked regular oats
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup wheat germ
• ½ cup sunflower kernels
• sprinkling of cinnamon

Combine in another bowl:

• ½ cup Canola oil
• 1/3 cup apple juice
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Pour liquid mixture over dry mixture and stir well.  Spread mixture evenly in large baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes (to degree of desired doneness), stirring every ten minutes or so. Cool.

Optional: Stir in raisins or dates or other dried fruit, if desired, or, for the holidays, candied fruit.  You can vary this a little by adding other grains or nuts, such as flax seed, pumpkin seeds, etc. as they are available.

Robert Morgan