Berry French Toast Bake

This recipe is similar to one I made for Christmas Eve breakfast, but I left out the cream cheese, added frozen berries and cubed the bread instead of slicing it.  I think the cubing worked much better, but the cream cheese would be a tasty addition to this recipe.

Berry French Toast Bake

6 eggs
2 cups milk (I use 1%)
3/4 cup maple syrup, plus extra for serving
1 loaf of day-old challah or sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups (12 ounces) fresh or frozen, thawed, and drained berries
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon lemon zest

1. Cube bread and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. 
2. Mix eggs, milk, maple syrup and 2 teaspoons cinnamon together and pour over the bread mixture.  Use a large spoon to turn the cubes to make sure all sides are coated.
3. Mix the berries and lemon zest and pour over pan, mixing them in just slightly.

4. Cover pan and let sit overnight.
5. The next morning preheat the over to 350 and give the cubes a final stir.
6.  Mix brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg together.  Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the cubes.
7. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown and set.
8. Enjoy!

Vegetable Egg Bake

This is a super easy recipe that you can prepare the day ahead.  Just throw your favorite vegetables together with some hash browns, eggs and cheese and you have a delicious meal!  I made this last weekend up at my cabin and it was perfect to just throw in the oven the next morning, accompanied by a french toast casserole of course :).

Vegetable Egg Bake

Ingredients
8 eggs
2 cups milk (I use 1% milk)
2 cups chopped and sautéed vegetables (I recommend peppers, broccoli, onions and jalapeño)
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup shredded cheese
1 32 ounce package of frozen hash browns
2 tablespoons olive oil
cracked pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Chop vegetables and garlic and lightly sauté them with olive oil.
2. Place frozen hash browns in a greased 9x13 pan.  

 
3. Sprinkle vegetables and 1/2 cup cheese on top of hash browns and lightly mix them into hash browns.
4. Mix eggs, salt, pepper to taste and milk until thoroughly combined.  Then pour over potato vegetable mixture.  

 
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, paprika and additional cracked pepper.
6. Cover and sit overnight or until ready to serve.
7. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 40 minutes or until middle is set.
8. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cinnamon Pancakes

Last week I found myself with some extra buttermilk I needed to use up so I decided to make my mom's buttermilk pancakes.  They are always good and you can modify them by adding your favorite fruit, chocolates etc.  I hope you enjoy them!

Buttermilk Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 eggs
• 2 tablespoon butter, melted
• Optional: chocolate chips, blueberries, etc

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter. Do not combine them until you are ready to start cooking the pancakes.
2. Heat your griddle or frying pan over medium heat and spray with cooking oil.
   
   
   
   
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it's just blended together, being careful not to over mix. Over mixing will cause them to come out tough and not as fluffy.  Lumps are okay!
   
4. Next scoop the batter with a large spoon or cup onto the griddle in whatever size or shape pancake you prefer.  Brown on both sides and serve hot.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Makes about 12 medium sized pancakes.

Berry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

Berry Cream Cheese Maple French Toast Casserole... its a mouthful I know.  But a delicious one I think you'll be happy you made.  I made this for Christmas Eve Brunch and combined a few different ideas and recipes I found online.  I saw some basic french toast casserole recipes and I saw some with cream cheese and others with fruit in the mixture.  I couldn't decide which to make because they all sounded so amazing.  So I combined them all!  And I happened to think it was great.  There are only two changes I'll make next time.  One is to just cube all the bread so the top is more even across the whole dish and not just the front piece in each row and two is to put the cream cheese mixture on all the pieces because it was definitely better than the slices I left plain.

Berry Cream Cheese Maple French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

Cream Cheese topping
Light whipped cream cheese
Frozen mixed berries
Vanilla sugar (plain sugar will do too)
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Casserole
1 loaf challah or french bread (day old is preferable)
6 eggs
1 cup half and half
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup maple syrup (plus more for serving)
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Topping
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar (regular sugar will also work)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

1. Put 1/2 cup frozen berries in your food processor and let them thaw.  Add vanilla sugar, a few tablespoons water (if needed) and lemon zest and pulse until they are a smooth jam like consistency.  Reserve a few tablespoons of the jam mixture and the add the cream cheese to the food processor and mix until combined.

 
2. Butter a 9x13 glass pan. 
3. Cut bread into slices or cubes and fill pan.
4. Drizzle cream cheese mixture over cubes and mix or spread the cream cheese mixture on the slices of bread.

 
5. Mix the eggs, milk, maple syrup and cinnamon together.
6. Spoon egg mixture over casserole until all bread is wet with mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Dizzle the reserved jam mixture over the casserole.  Lastly, combine the vanilla sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.  This will help it form a nice golden crust on top.
8. Bake for about 45 minutes or until it looks set and the top is brown.
9. Serve and enjoy!

(Photo is prior to baking. Once it came out it was eaten before I remembered to snap a pic!)