I made this stuff up! Cooking with Mimi

Baked French toast

Baked French Toast

1 loaf sourdough bread (I used Pepperidge Farm)
8 eggs
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

1.  Grease a 9x13 pan with butter.  Tear bread into bite-size chunks and place evenly in the pan.
2.  Mix together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour evenly over bread.  Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours (I put mine in overnight....it was about 12 hours).
3.  In a medium bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it all looks nice and crumbly (like small pebbles, according to P-Dub).  Place in a ziploc bag and put in fridge.
4.  When ready to bake, take pan and bag out of fridge.  Remove wrap and evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (or 45 minutes if you like it more soft and pudding-like).

Notes:

• You can serve with syrup, but we made a quick glaze with powdered sugar and milk.  Delish!
• If you don't have brown sugar, mix 1/2 Tbsp. molasses with 1/2 cup sugar until well blended.
• Like I said, you can bake it for less time if you like it softer, but I love how the top gets crispy when it's baked for an hour.  The underneath part is still somewhat soft.  One hour in my 350-oven was just right.
• The directions said to scoop out, but I wanted to be able to control the portions so I cut it into 12 servings (they were large, and this is rich, so you could serve other breakfast dishes and use this as more of a side dish and get 24 servings).

Makes 12 large servings

Source:  slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Easy breakfast casserole

I found this recipe when I was looking for an easier alternative to the other hashbrown casserole that I usually make. This is definately it. It turned out great and was so simple to put together! I didn't add the veggies to it but it was still tasty!

Easy Breakfast Casserole

1/4 cup butter

12 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 cups frozen hash browns, tater tots, hash brown patties ( enough to cover bottom of your pan)

1 cup milk

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups diced ham or 2 cups sausage or 2 cups bacon

1 cup diced red peppers, green pepper (Optinal) or 1 cup yellow peppers ( Optinal)

1/2 cup diced onions ( optinal)

Directions

1. Spray a 9" x 12" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Melt butter and drizzle in the bottom of the pan.
3. Layer the frozen hash browns evenly to cover the bottom.
4. Layer cheese, meat and any desired vegetable on top of potatoes.
5. Whisk eggs,salt and pepper.
6. Pour egg mixture over the top to cover.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. Bake uncovered at 350º for 1 hour or until set.

Chicken marinade

I found this recipe and we tried it out. It was a great marinade we'll use again.

 

Chicken Marinade

3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 cloves garlic

1 limes

1/2 lemons

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 to taste ground black pepper

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. In a large, non-reactive container, whisk together ingredients beginning with cider vinegar through salt.
2. Then whisk in olive oil and pepper.
3. Place chicken in the mixture.
4. Cover and marinate chicken in the fridge 8 hours or overnight.

Stuffed Blueberry French Toast

Here's a yummy really good brunch recipe that we'll be making for Easter. I made it Christmas Eve morning last year and it was hit. Not overly sweet but great because you make it the night before.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Stuffed Baked French Toast

55 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 6 -8

1	loaf white bread, no crusts
1/2	loaf French bread
6	cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, rinsed
8	ounces cream cheese
1/2	cup sour cream
1/2	cup sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
7	eggs
1 1/2	cups milk
1 1/2	cups half-and-half
1/2	teaspoon cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2	cup powdered sugar

1. Cut white bread into cubes and place into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
2. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over bread.
3. Microwave cream cheese in bowl for 2 minutes.
4. Stir carefully and add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 teaspoons vanilla.
5. Spread over blueberries.
6. Cut French bread into 10-1 inch thick slices, place over cream cheese.
7. Beat eggs, milk, half&half, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour over bread.
8. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered, then uncover for approximately 15 minutes.
10. Let set before slicing.
11. Sift powdered sugar over before serving.

Here's a yummy really good brunch recipe that we'll be making for Easter. I made it Christmas Eve morning last year and it was hit. Not overly sweet but great because you make it the night before.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Stuffed Baked French Toast

55 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 6 -8

1	loaf white bread, no crusts
1/2	loaf French bread
6	cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, rinsed
8	ounces cream cheese
1/2	cup sour cream
1/2	cup sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
7	eggs
1 1/2	cups milk
1 1/2	cups half-and-half
1/2	teaspoon cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2	cup powdered sugar

1. Cut white bread into cubes and place into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
2. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over bread.
3. Microwave cream cheese in bowl for 2 minutes.
4. Stir carefully and add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 teaspoons vanilla.
5. Spread over blueberries.
6. Cut French bread into 10-1 inch thick slices, place over cream cheese.
7. Beat eggs, milk, half&half, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour over bread.
8. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered, then uncover for approximately 15 minutes.
10. Let set before slicing.
11. Sift powdered sugar over before serving.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

I made these in the crockpot last week. They turned out pretty yummy. I used red potatoes and didn't peel them. They were good like that.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

2¾ hours | 45 min prep | SERVES 8 -10

8	medium potatoes
1	cup sour cream
8	ounces chive & onion cream cheese
4	tablespoons butter
1/4	cup chives
1 1/2	teaspoons salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
2	garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2	teaspoons onion powder
1	pinch marjoram (optional)
1/2-1	cup thinly sliced green onions
	bacon bits or 2 slices cooked crumpled bacon
	milk
	paprika

1. Boil potatoes until tender.
2. Beat softened cream cheese and sour cream in mixing bowl.
3. Add hot potatoes and beat until smooth, adding small amounts of milk as needed.
4. Add butter, chives, salt, pepper and onion powder and beat until well-mixed.
5. Add garlic, green onions, and marjoram and beat until well-mixed.
6. Pour into either casserole dish or crockpot.
7. Dot with additional butter and sprinkle with paprika.
8. Bake for 25 minutes in 350°F oven or cook on low in crockpot for 2-3 hours. If cooked in crockpot, add a few additional drops of butter and stir, just before serving.
9. Sprinkle with Bacon Bits or crumpled bacon just before serving.
10. NOTE: Can be refrigerated overnight in either casserole dish or crockpot.

I made these in the crockpot last week. They turned out pretty yummy. I used red potatoes and didn't peel them. They were good like that.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

2¾ hours | 45 min prep | SERVES 8 -10

8	medium potatoes
1	cup sour cream
8	ounces chive & onion cream cheese
4	tablespoons butter
1/4	cup chives
1 1/2	teaspoons salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
2	garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2	teaspoons onion powder
1	pinch marjoram (optional)
1/2-1	cup thinly sliced green onions
	bacon bits or 2 slices cooked crumpled bacon
	milk
	paprika

1. Boil potatoes until tender.
2. Beat softened cream cheese and sour cream in mixing bowl.
3. Add hot potatoes and beat until smooth, adding small amounts of milk as needed.
4. Add butter, chives, salt, pepper and onion powder and beat until well-mixed.
5. Add garlic, green onions, and marjoram and beat until well-mixed.
6. Pour into either casserole dish or crockpot.
7. Dot with additional butter and sprinkle with paprika.
8. Bake for 25 minutes in 350°F oven or cook on low in crockpot for 2-3 hours. If cooked in crockpot, add a few additional drops of butter and stir, just before serving.
9. Sprinkle with Bacon Bits or crumpled bacon just before serving.
10. NOTE: Can be refrigerated overnight in either casserole dish or crockpot.

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

This is a recipe my Grandma and Grandpa's neighbor Clara Jean Kyllo made for us when Grandma was sick and then when Grandma passed away. It became one of our favorite dishes, and she shared the recipe with us.

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

• 1 can Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Mayonaise
• 7 oz Chicken (Her original recipe calls for canned Tuna, which they would can themselves and it was so good, but I don't like canned tuna so I use Chicken I precook)
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 Tbsp Parsley
• 1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 3 cups Cooked Country Pasta

Combine all ingredients. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Note: I usually make a 13x9 which if you double all the ingredients in the recipe EXCEPT the pasta will fit in the 13x9. The pasta you only want to use about 4-5 cups of cooked pasta for the 13x9 pan size. Top with Cracker crumbs or bread crumbs. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with more cheese and cook another 15 minutes. Enjoy!