French Toast Loaf

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients

•12 thick slices day-old, white bread

•4 eggs

•2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pats and chilled

•1 1/4 cup heavy cream

•1 cup brown sugar

•1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

•powdered sugar, garnish

Directions

1.Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

2.In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well.

3.Cut bread slices into 1 1/2-inch strips and lay down a layer of bread strips inside loaf pan.

4.Sprinkle 1/3 of brown sugar mixture over the layer of bread, then add a layer of butter pats over the sugar, using 1/3 third of the butter.

5.Repeat with another 2 layers of bread, sugar and butter. Press down on bread with your hand to make sure it’s compacted.

6.In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla and remaining cinnamon.

7.Pour batter slowly over the loaf, making sure to allow time for the bread to absorb all the liquid. Pay attention to the corners of the pan.

8.Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

9.Preheat oven to 325º F, remove plastic wrap, cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake (on a rimmed baking sheet) for 1 hour.

10.Uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes.

11.Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes, then place serving plate face down on top of loaf pan and invert loaf.

12.Slice and serve, garnished with powdered sugar.

Original Recipe from 12tomatoes.com

Pumpkin Cheesecake Monkey Bread

Ingredients

1/2   cup granulated sugar   

2   tablespoons pumpkin pie spice   

4   cans (7.5 oz each) Pillsbury™ refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (sold in a 4-pack)   

1   cup packed brown sugar   

1/2   cup butter   

1/3   cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)   

1   package (3 oz) cream cheese   

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 6-cup fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray.

Step 2

In large food-storage plastic bag, mix granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

Step 3

Separate each can of dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters, adding biscuit pieces to bag and shaking as you go. When pieces are coated, arrange in pan. (If you run out of mixture, remove dough pieces from bag and add 1 to 2 more tablespoons granulated sugar to bag.)

Step 4

In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, pumpkin and cream cheese over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Beat mixture with whisk until mostly smooth (there may be some tiny pieces of cream cheese, but that’s okay). Pour mixture over biscuit pieces in pan. Place pan on cookie sheet to catch any spills.

Step 5

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 2 minutes. Place heatproof plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Store in refrigerator.

This recipe requires plain canned pumpkin puree—not pumpkin pie mix which is a complete pie filling with spices added. Double check that you purchase the correct one (the pumpkin pie mix won’t yield the same results).

The cooling time is important—the pumpkin mixture gets very hot in the oven and you don’t want to burn your mouth.

Snow Ice cream

(For those of us down south, who seldom get snow we have to make do with shaved ice...)

 the original Recipe...

And then there is the Paula Deen Version - always richer

Ingredients
8 cups snow, or shaved ice
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls.


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Then for those of you Who prefer to go the Healthy route...

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*** You can make any additions you like - my favorite is Mint extract and chocolate chips...

Whats Yours???

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Croissants

1 pkg croissant rolls

1 lb mild sausage

6 eggs, beaten

Refrigerated Hash Browns

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam.

Brown sausage in skillet.

Spread croissant dough in bottom of 9×13 dish.

 Add sausage and hashbrowns, then pour eggs over all.

Generously top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

B&G Casserole

This makes for an awesome easy breakfast for the gang...

Ingredients

 1 pound sausage

 1 1/2 ounces pork gravy mix ( 1 package of Pioneer Brand Peppered Sausage Gravy Mix )

 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

 6 eggs

 1/2 cup milk

 to taste salt

 to taste black pepper

 1 Can (8 oz) biscuits ( 1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits )

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree's. Take a 9x13 pan and spray it with Pam or whatever you like to use. Then take the Biscuits and cut into 1" pieces and line bottom of pan. Brown Sausage and scatter over biscuits. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Whisk eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour it over the pan. Make Gravy mix per package directions and pour over. Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes.

Sausage Squares

 

Sausage and bread and cream cheese: what’s not to love?

Two cans of crescent rolls,

one-8 oz. package of cream cheese, and

two pounds of breakfast sausage. 

 

That’s it.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and roll out one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom.

Next, throw the sausage into a pan to brown.When the sausage is brown, drain it, and return it to the pan.  Add the cream cheese. Let it get all melty good, the stir it around until it’s well incorporated. Then, spread the sausage/cream cheese mixture onto the uncooked crescents in the pan. Layer the other can of crescents on the top. Bake them for 25 minutes or until the crescents are golden brown.  Cool and cut into squares.

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then this is the express-way.

These are good for a snack or for breakfast with a side of scrambled eggs and fried potatoes.  Or for supper. Or lunch. Or a snack. Wait. Did I say that?

Mini Shepard's Pie

 

1    box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box    

1 1/2    cups Green Giant™ Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables    

1    tablespoon butter    

1/2    medium yellow onion, chopped    

1/2    lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef    

1/3    cup beef broth    

1/4    teaspoon salt    

1/8    teaspoon pepper    

1    bag (24 oz) refrigerated mashed potatoes, heated as directed on bag (about 3 cups)  

 

 

Directions

 

1.  Heat oven to 400°F. 

2.  Unroll pie crusts. Roll each crust to 12 inches in diameter. Using 4-inch round cutter, cut 6 rounds from each crust. Firmly press each round in bottom and up side of each of 12 ungreased regular-size muffin cups. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350°F.

3.  In small microwavable bowl, microwave frozen vegetables and 2 teaspoons water tightly covered with plastic wrap on High 3 minutes; set aside.

4.  In 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted and hot. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef to skillet; cook 5 to 7 minutes longer, stirring to break up any large pieces; drain. Add broth, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until mixture is hot and liquid is absorbed. Stir in vegetables. 

5.  Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup beef mixture. Top each pie with about 1/4 cup of the warm mashed potatoes. Bake at 350°F 25 to 30 minutes or until crusts are golden brown and mashed potatoes are lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes in pan before serving. Run knife around outside of each pie to loosen before removing.