Pear Clafouti

I hope this doesn't step on Rachel's toes. This is actually her recipe, but people asked me for it at the last baby shower. It is SO yummy and leaves you begging for more. Just thinking about it makes me want to make it again.

1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/3 c. plus 1 Tbsp sugar
3 extra large eggs (or 4 large eggs), room temperature
6 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon or orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp apple juice
2 ripe Bartlett pears (if pears are green at the store, purchase 2 days in advance and place in brown bag at room temperature to help them ripen. I also used d'anjou pears and it worked great)
powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10 x 1 1/2 inch round baking dish (or skillet, I used an oval casserole dish that holds 2-3 qts). Sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 Tbsp sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1/3 c. sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla, zest, salt, and apple juice. Set aside for 10 min.

Meanwhile, peel, half, and core pears. Then slice fairly thinly. Arrange them in a single layer slightly fanned out in baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35-40 minutes. Check at 30 min. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar after it has cooled. Can top with whipped cream if desired.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:
12 slices white bread, crusts removed (I use wheat bread, and leave on the crusts)
2 packages, 16 oz total, cream cheese (We don't like that much cream cheese in it, so we just use one)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or other syrup

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes; place half in a greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk and syrup, blending well. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set.

While it bakes, prepare sauce.

Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (1 is enough for the recipe, but we find we really like the sauce, so we use 2 cups of berries and double everything else)
1 tablespoon butter

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve sauce with French toast.
Serves 6 to 8

Christmas Casserole

I don't know how many of you have had French Toast casseroles, but I love them. So, I am going to share my two recipes with you. You have to plan ahead with these because they soak over night. :)

This first one is called Christmas casserole because it is what Chris' family has for Christmas breakfast.

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread, cubed
2 cups grated cheese
1 lb sausage, cooked
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup + 1/2 cup milk

Grease a 9x13 pan. Place bread in pan. Sprinkle with cheese, then sausage. Beat 2 1/2 cups milk with eggs and pour over bread. Cover, and refridgerate over night (If you like breakfast for dinner and want to do this, let sit about 8 hours coverd in the fridge).
Next day, mix 1/2 cup milk and can of soup together. Pour over the top. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour. Remove tinfoil, and bake 30 more minutes. Enjoy!

Quiche

Recipe For ~ Quiche

1 pkg. Turkey Bacon
1 Small Loaf of Cheap Bread
8 Eggs or Egg Beaters that = 8 Eggs
1 tbsp. Milk
1 can Mushrooms
1 can Green Chiles
1 container of Little Bite Size Tomatoes Cut in half
Shredded Fiesta Blend Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Foil
Pie or Quiche Dish

1. Cook Bacon until really crispy.
2. Crush Bacon on bottom of Pie or Quiche Dish.
3. Break Bread apart without crust and put pieces of bread over bacon completely cover bacon like a puzzle with the bread.
4. Mix together eggs, milk, mushrooms, green chilies, tomatoes, salt & pepper and cheese in a bowl.
5. Pour the mixture over the bread and cover with tinfoil and let set overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°

6. Cook the next morning at 350° for about 1 hour.
7. You can put the cheese on top of the quiche with 15 minutes left to cook. I just spread the shredded cheese on top and let it cook for the last 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

egg casserole

Here's the egg casserole from Rachel Fordham's shower. I'm not huge on egg caseroles so Rachel Nielsen kindly gave me this recipe. It was super easy! I didn't have dry mustard so I just left it out.

12-15 slices of bread (cut up into cubes)
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
3 c. milk6 eggs
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. dry mustard
In a greased casserole dish, alternate layers of cubed bread, milk mixture, and cheese. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees.