Sarah’s Overnight French Toast
If you want to make a special breakfast for Mom on Sunday, I’d suggest trying this baked French Toast.
On a visit to Michigan my niece made this for breakfast and she shared her recipe with me. For breakfast on the morning I was leaving, Sarah made this baked French toast dish that we topped with warm blueberry syrup. It was so flavorful, not too sweet, and a special dish to serve for Mom.
This is a great dish for when you are pressed for time. You assemble it the night before and then just bake it when needed. She said it was really easy to make and promised me the recipe. She also included the recipe for the warm blueberry syrup she served with it. So here is Sarah’s recipe. I loved it and I think you will, too.
Sarah’s Overnight French Toast Bake
10 cups cubed white bread (Sarah used Texas Toast)
8oz. cream cheese
8 large eggs
2/3 c. half and half
1½ c. milk
½ tsp. vanilla
Cream all together, except the bread. Put bread in 9×13 pan. Pour egg mixture over cubed bread. Cover and put in fridge overnight. Let stand at room temp for 1/2 an hour, put in 375 oven for 50 minutes. My lazy version ……take out of fridge, put in cold oven, turn oven on, set timer for one hour, go back to bed while breakfast cooks.
Blueberry Syrup
1 pint blueberries
1/2 c. sugar
2 -3 tbs corn starch
dash of lemon Juice
pinch of salt
Combine, cook, stirring often, until boiling.
Note: Feel free to use other berries or a combination.
Tara’s Brunch Enchiladas
These are not traditional enchiladas, and I am OK with that. Made with a ham and cheese filling, then topped with an egg-based custard, they are a wonderful addition to any brunch menu. They would be fine served for breakfast or lunch, too. The prep in all done the day before, so you just have to pop them in the oven when ready to bake and serve. Nice for Mother’s day.
The recipe can be easily tweaked, to work with other ingredients. Maybe a corned beef and Swiss cheese version or chicken with broccoli. You could also go vegetarian with a combination of beans and veggies. You can cut the recipe in half, or freeze leftovers. I love a versatile recipe.
I started calling them Tara’s Enchiladas for my friend Tara, who needed a recipe for a Mother’s day brunch a few years ago. She made them and really loved them.
So here is the recipe. Hope you give it a try.
Tara’s Brunch Enchiladas
12 oz. fully cooked ham, chopped fine or ground
½ c. sliced green onions
½ c. chopped sweet pepper
2½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 beaten eggs
2 c. half and half or milk
1 T. flour
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste- ham is salty- so go light on salt
In bowl, combine ham with vegetables. Place 1/3 c. of ham mixture and 3 tablespoons of cheese in each tortilla and roll up. Place tortillas, seam side down, in greased 9×13-inch pan. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over tortillas. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Uncover and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until set. To check for “doneness”, insert a knife off center. Knife should come out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese. Serves 8.
Note: Let enchiladas sit a few minutes before serving to make cutting easier. I cut them down the middle, then into squares to serve.
Bacon Waffles
If you are looking for a special breakfast for Father’s Day, maybe dad would like some waffles. Even better, make him waffles with bacon inside them. Then serve your bacon waffles with extra bacon on the side!!!
For me, breakfast doesn’t get much better than waffles. Well, unless maybe you add bacon to the waffle batter.
Truth is, I don’t treat myself to waffles all that often, but if I am going to eat waffles, I go all out.
These are truly wonderful waffles. Light, crispy on the outside and studded with bacon. A drizzle of warm maple syrup and you are good to go.
So, if you are looking for a special treat for dad for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner or a snack… try these bacon waffles. You can thank me later.
Bacon Waffles
1 pound sliced bacon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1½ cups milk
¼ cup butter, melted
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain; crumble and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat egg yolks, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Add bacon. Before making each waffle, stir batter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.
Strawberry Waffles
These waffles would make a great breakfast or brunch dish. I have even served them for dessert. That’s the thing about waffles. They can be eaten any time of the day.
This waffle recipe came about because I needed a dessert for dinner with a friend. It was a last minute dinner, so I didn’t have a lot of time. Waffles seemed like a great idea. They don’t take a lot of time to make, and they highlighted the berries. My friend really liked them. I did, too.
I made the waffles with fresh strawberries in the batter. Then, the waffles are served topped with more fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
They were a perfect dessert. I could see topping them with ice cream or whipped cream, too. Any leftover waffles can be frozen.
For the fresh strawberry topping, you just combine fresh, sliced berries with some sugar. If you can make it ahead of time, the sugar draws juice out of the strawberries, kind of making its own sauce. I made the topping first, then popped in the fridge.
So here is my recipe. Enjoy!!
Strawberry Waffles
1 1/3 c. flour
2 T. sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
2 eggs, separated
½ c. butter, melted
1¾ c. milk
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped fresh strawberries
Powdered sugar for topping waffles
Strawberry topping- recipe follows
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Set aside. Separate the eggs. Set aside the yolks. Place the whites in a small mixing bowl. Beat whites until moderately stiff; set aside. Combine milk, melted butter, egg yolks and vanilla in small bowl. Add to dry ingredient mixture and blend. Stir in berries. Fold stiff egg whites into mixture. Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron and bake. To serve, top with powdered sugar and strawberry topping. Makes 10-12 (4-inch) waffles.
Topping
1 qt. strawberries
½ c. sugar- or to taste
Wash and stem berries. Slice berries. Place in bowl and sprinkle on the sugar. Stir to combine and place in fridge until ready to use. Try to do this at least 30 minutes before using. That will give the mixture time for juice to be released from the berries.
Tara’s Brunch Enchiladas
These are not traditional enchiladas, and I am OK with that. Made with a ham and cheese filling, then topped with an egg-based custard, they are a wonderful addition to any brunch menu. They would be fine served for breakfast or lunch, too. The prep in all done the day before, so you just have to pop them in the oven when ready to bake and serve. Nice for Mother’s day.
The recipe can be easily tweaked, to work with other ingredients. Maybe a corned beef and Swiss cheese version or chicken with broccoli. You could also go vegetarian with a combination of beans and veggies. You can cut the recipe in half, or freeze leftovers. I love a versatile recipe.
I started calling them Tara’s Enchiladas for my friend Tara, who needed a recipe for a Mother’s day brunch a few years ago. She made them and really loved them.
So here is the recipe. Hope you give it a try.
Tara’s Brunch Enchiladas
12 oz. fully cooked ham, chopped fine or ground
½ c. sliced green onions
½ c. chopped sweet pepper
2½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 beaten eggs
2 c. half and half or milk
1 T. flour
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste- ham is salty- so go light on salt
In bowl, combine ham with vegetables. Place 1/3 c. of ham mixture and 3 tablespoons of cheese in each tortilla and roll up. Place tortillas, seam side down, in greased 9×13-inch pan. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over tortillas. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Uncover and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until set. To check for “doneness”, insert a knife off center. Knife should come out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese. Serves 8.
Note: Let enchiladas sit a few minutes before serving to make cutting easier. I cut them down the middle, then into squares to serve.
Sarah’s Overnight French Toast
If you want to make a special breakfast for Mom on Sunday, you might want to make baked French Toast.
On a visit to Michigan my niece made this for breakfast and she shared her recipe with me. For breakfast on the morning I was leaving, Sarah made this baked French toast dish that we topped with warm blueberry syrup. It was so flavorful, not too sweet, and a special dish to serve for Mom.
This is a great dish for when you are pressed for time. You assemble it the night before and then just bake it when needed. She said it was really easy to make and promised me the recipe. She also included the recipe for the warm blueberry syrup she served with it. So here is Sarah’s recipe. I loved it and I think you will, too.
Sarah’s Overnight French Toast Bake
10 cups cubed white bread (Sarah used Texas Toast)
8oz. cream cheese
8 large eggs
2/3 c. half and half
1½ c. milk
½ tsp. vanilla
Cream all together, except the bread. Put bread in 9×13 pan. Pour egg mixture over cubed bread. Cover and put in fridge overnight. Let stand at room temp for 1/2 an hour, put in 375 oven for 50 minutes. My lazy version ……take out of fridge, put in cold oven, turn oven on, set timer for one hour, go back to bed while breakfast cooks.
Blueberry Syrup
1 pint blueberries
1/2c sugar
2 -3 tbs corn starch
dash of lemon Juice
pinch of salt
Combine, cook, stirring often, until boiling.
Ham and Cheese Strata
I really love this dish when I have company coming over. It is easy to make and always goes over well. Since it is assembled ahead of time you can make it the day before and then just bake it when you want it.
What is a strata? The simple answer is that it just means layers. Strata is a dish that can be made so many ways with all sorts of ingredients. In this strata you make sandwiches, top them with a mixture of egg and milk and then bake it up. I used rye bread, ham and Swiss cheese, but you can use different bread, cheese and meats (or even no meat) to make any number of combinations. I have made a Reuben strata with corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing.
Ham and Cheese Strata
12 slices bread, crusts removed, if desired – I used rye
6 slices cheese – I used Swiss
1/4 c. diced green onions
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
2 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham
3 eggs
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Place six slices of bread on bottom of 2-quart oblong casserole. Top each slice of bread with a slice of cheese. Top cheese with the onions, peppers and ham. Top with remaining bread and cut each “sandwich” in half diagonally. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over sandwiches. Cover dish and let stand several hours or overnight in the fridge. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until puffed and set. Serves 6.
Ham and Cheese Strata
I really love this dish when I have company coming over. It is easy to make and always goes over well. Since it is assembled ahead of time you can make it the day before and then just bake it when you want it.
What is a strata? The simple answer is that it just means layers. Strata is a dish that can be made so many ways with all sorts of ingredients. In this strata you make sandwiches, top them with a mixture of egg and milk and then bake it up. I used rye bread, ham and Swiss cheese, but you can use different bread, cheese and meats (or even no meat) to make any number of combinations. I have made a Reuben strata with corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing.
Ham and Cheese Strata
12 slices bread, crusts removed if desired – I used rye
6 slices cheese – I used Swiss
1/4 c. diced green onions
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
2 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham
3 eggs
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Place six slices of bread on bottom of 2-quart oblong casserole. Top each slice of bread with a slice of cheese. Top cheese with the onions, peppers and ham. Top with remaining bread and cut each “sandwich” in half diagonally. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over sandwiches. Cover dish and let stand several hours or overnight in the fridge. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until puffed and set. Serves 6.
Sarah’s Overnight French Toast
On a visit to Michigan I got to do one of my favorite things- spend time with my family. My niece Sarah is always so much fun to be around and the visits are always too short. She is a great hostess and I enjoy her cooking almost as much as I enjoy seeing her. For breakfast on the morning I was leaving, Sarah made this great baked French toast dish that we topped with warm blueberry syrup. It was so flavorful, not too sweet, and a special dish to serve for company. This is a great dish for when you are pressed for time. You assemble it the night before and then just bake it when needed. She said it was really easy to make and promised me the recipe. She also included the recipe for the warm blueberry syrup she served with it. So here is Sarah’s recipe. I loved it and I think you will, too.
Sarah’s Overnight French Toast Bake
10 cups cubed white bread (Sarah used Texas Toast)
8oz. cream cheese
8 large eggs
2/3 c. half and half
1½ c. milk
½ tsp. vanilla
Cream all together, except the bread. Put bread in 9×13 pan. Pour egg mixture over cubed bread. Cover and put in fridge overnight. Let stand at room temp for 1/2 an hour, put in 375 oven for 50 minutes. My lazy version ……take out of fridge, put in cold oven, turn oven on, set timer for one hour, go back to bed while breakfast cooks.
Blueberry Syrup
1 pint blueberries
1/2c sugar
2 -3 tbs corn starch
dash of lemon Juice
pinch of salt
Combine, cook, stirring often, until boiling.
Tara’s Brunch Enchiladas
These are not traditional enchiladas, and I am OK with that. Made with a ham and cheese filling, then topped with an egg-based custard, they are a wonderful addition to any brunch menu. They would be fine served for breakfast or lunch, too. The prep in all done the day before, so you just have to pop them in the oven when ready to bake and serve. Nice for Mother’s day.
The recipe can be easily tweaked, to work with other ingredients. Maybe a corned beef and Swiss cheese version or chicken with broccoli. You could also go vegetarian with a combination of beans and veggies. You can cut the recipe in half, or freeze leftovers. I love a versatile recipe.
I started calling them Tara’s Enchiladas for my friend Tara, who needed a recipe for a Mother’s day brunch a few years ago. She made them and really loved them.
So here is the recipe. Hope you give it a try.
Brunch Enchiladas
12 oz. fully cooked ham, chopped fine or ground
½ c. sliced green onions
½ c. chopped sweet pepper
2½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 beaten eggs
2 c. half and half or milk
1 T. flour
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste- ham is salty- so go light on salt
In bowl, combine ham with vegetables. Place 1/3 c. of ham mixture and 3 tablespoons of cheese in each tortilla and roll up. Place tortillas, seam side down, in greased 9×13-inch pan. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over tortillas. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Uncover and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until set. To check for doneness, insert a knife off center. Knife should come out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese. Serves 8.
Note: Let enchiladas sit a few minutes before serving to make cutting easier. I cut them down the middle, then into squares to serve.
