French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp water
peaches (fresh, frozen or canned)
12 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
1 loaf (1 pound) day-old French bread, cubed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions
                                                                                                         
In a saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, butter, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Pour the brown sugar mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish, and tilt the dish to cover the entire bottom. Place peaches in a layer over the sugar coating, then top with cubes of French bread. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Slowly pour over the bread slices to coat evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

Remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Bake for approximately 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bread is golden brown. Spoon out portions to serve.


NOTES: To make this a gluten-free, dairy-free breakfast, I used a package of Glutino's Gluten-Free English Muffins and unsweetened coconut milk by So Delicious and it was so very yummy.


This recipe is also linked to...

Food on Friday: Pears and Peaches

Breakfast Strata

Ingredients:

12 slices day-old bread, torn/cut into bite size pieces
1 cup diced fresh mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 chopped green bell pepper
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
2 cups cubed cooked ham
12 eggs
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp chopped green onion (optional)


Directions:

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms and green bell pepper evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread pieces, then layer with the onion and ham. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over the entire pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown.


NOTES: I did this recipe using 16 slices of Udi's Gluten-Free White Bread and a whole ham steak. It was really yummy.

Key Lime S'mores

Ingredients

24 square graham crackers
3/4 cup Key lime curd or pie filling
12 marshmallows


Directions

Spread the half of the graham crackers with a thick layer of lime curd (about 2 tablespoons apiece). Toast the marshmallows until they are slightly blackened on the outside and soft inside. Smear the marshmallows on the other half of the graham crackers. Sandwich and eat immediately.

Blueberries and Cream Tart

pastry:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks
1 cup all purpose flour
1 whisked egg white to seal the tart

shell filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup creme fraîche or sour cream or yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water


To make the pastry beat the sugar and butter in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour and mix until it is just combined. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for one hour.

Roll out the dough and fit it into a 9″ round tart pan. Trim away the excess. Cover the tart shell and put it back in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil. Then fill the tart shell all the way up with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Very carefully remove the foil. Put the shell back in the oven for about 6 minutes, until lightly golden.

With a pastry brush, egg wash the crust with the whisked egg white. Let the shell cool completely.

To make the cream filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the creme fraîche and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth. Fill the tart shell with the creme filling.

Put 3 cups of blueberries in a large bowl.

In a saucepan combine remaining of blueberries with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Whisk together the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water in a measuring cup or bowl. Bring the berry mixture to a boil and them simmer until the sauce is thickened and really looking like jelly. 

Pour the hot berry mixture over the waiting blueberries and mix gently so that all the fresh berries are covered. Then gently pour the berry mixture into the cream filled tart shell. Let the tart stand for about 30 minutes so that the berry mixture can firm up.

When you are ready to serve gently remove the tart from the pan.

Garlic and Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.

Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.