Stuffed French Toast Casserole

This breakfast/brunch casserole is one of the kids’ favorites.  I had some apple butter on hand, had a coupon for Swirl bread, and decided to give this a try using Tofutti cream cheese substitute.  No one could tell that it wasn’t real cream cheese.  I reduced the amount of sweetener, and it was still sweet enough from the apple butter to forego putting syrup or powdered sugar on it.

2 loaves Swirl bread (I used whole wheat cinnamon raisin, but there are some great varieties now including  a new oatmeal bread – pumpkin spice, brown sugar, etc.!)

2 containers Tofutti

1/2 c. agave (or use sugar, honey, maple syrup or natural sweeteners)

12 eggs

2 C. milk (I used unsweetened coconut/almond blend)

1/2 c. apple butter

Coconut oil spray

WARNING!  This recipe makes 10 large portions.  Leftovers are fought over!

Soften “cream cheese” and combine with sweetener.

Spray two 13 x 9 baking dishes with coconut oil and lay out bread to fit into dishes.  I cut some pieces in half to make it work.

Lay top slices of bread to the side, and spread top of bottom pieces and bottom of top pieces with “cream cheese” mixture.

Top with apple butter.

Close up “sandwiches”.

Mix eggs and milk (I use the bowl I mixed the “cream cheese” in to keep clean up to a minimum.  Pour over “sandwiches”.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes until golden brown.

YUMMY!

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Brie and Apple Quiche and Pancetta Quiche

2 Immaculate pie crusts

12 eggs

1/4 c. sour cream

4 oz. diced pancetta

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 apples diced

6 oz. brie, diced

1 c. shredded cheese (I used fontina)

Pre-bake pie crusts until slightly golden at 400F.  Lower temperature to 325F.

Whisk together eggs and sour cream.

Cook pancetta until crispy, adding in onions to carmelize toward the end.

Place brie and apple in one pie crust.

Place pancetta and onion in the other.

Top both with shredded cheese.

Pour egg mixture equally into both.

Bake for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

What I love about quiche is I can use up whatever is in the fridge.  Any veggie, any cheese , any meat, equals Yumm.

Serve with fruit or a salad – you can’t go wrong.

 

 

 

Naan Breakfast Pizza

3 packages Stonefire Naan Bread (I used garlic)

12 eggs (fresh from a farm my daughter and son-in-law just purchased!)

1/4 c. sour cream

2 Tbsp. minced dehydrated onion

1/2 tsp. salt

2 packages fully cooked turkey sausage links

2 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Whisk eggs, sour cream, onion, and salt together.  Soft scramble and set aside.  Keep it a little liquidy.

Place naan on baking sheets lined with foil and sprayed with coconut oil.

Top with egg mixture.

Chop defrosted sausage into small pieces and top egg mixture.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes.

Apple Croissant Dumplings in Custard with Vanilla Yogurt

Above is a picture of a breakfast I have made countless times and have enjoyed on holiday mornings and ordinary mornings.  The key is to pick the most delicious apples, of course.  Today’s dumplings were made with HUGE golden delicious apples that made me think of my Dad.  He always ate golden delicious.  Softer skin.  Easier on his teeth.  But also, so darn amazing and flavorful.

I also like that they now have a honey butter variety of the crescent dough.  The extra honey in the dough really adds another layer of flavor.

2 apples, cored and cut into 8ths.

2 tubes crescent dough (I used honey butter)

4 eggs

1 C. milk, creamer, creamer, half and half, or any combination thereof.  (I used Cilifia Farms Coconut Almond Blend with no added sugar)

1/2 c. raw sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

First you prepare a 13 x 9 baking dish by spraying it with coconut oil and preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut two apples into 8 wedges each.

Wrap apple wedges in crescent dough and place in baking dish.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix together eggs, milk/cream mixture, sugar, and vanilla.  (custard)

Pour custard carefully over crescent wrapped apple wedges.

I serve this topped with vanilla yogurt.  You can sprinkle the apples with cinnamon, ginger, or cloves.  You could sprinkle nuts on top before baking the custard.

 

Pumpkin Spice Cheese Stuffed French Toast Bake

This is a great choice for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!  It makes the whole house smell delicious!

20 slices Pepperidge Farm pumpkin spice swirl bread (perfect for holiday breakfasts!)

2 blocks Neufchatel cheese, softened

½ c. sugar or other sweetener.

12 eggs

2 c. milk

1 c. pumpkin butter (I used Kauffman’s – tastes like pumpkin pie!)

Pan spray

This recipe makes 10 large portions.  Leftovers don’t last long, though!

I love when a new flavor of swirl bread appears.  It means another variation on the cheese stuffed French toast my kids love so much.

Mix softened cream cheese and sugar.

Spray 2 baking dishes (13 x 9).  Place bread in dishes to adjust fit.

Spread all 20 slices of bread with cream cheese mixture.

Top each bottom slice with pumpkin butter.

Place top slice on each portion.

Whisk eggs and milk.

Pour slowly, evenly over bread, being careful not to leave any dry spots.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

No syrup or topping required.  You can top with powdered sugar for appearance, but it is sweet enough without.

Once it has cooled, I place it in a tupperware and everyone eats it as they get up.  No need to reheat.  It’s delicious cold too!

All I can say is YUMMMM.

 

Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole

8 eggs

3 Tbsp. sour cream

1 can golden mushroom soup (or other cream soup – leftover homemade is ideal)

1 package fully cooked turkey sausage crumbles

2 cups leftover roasted potatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. shredded cheese

Combine eggs and sour cream.  Soft scramble in a skillet sprayed with olive oil or coconut spray.  Mix in soup.  Set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium to medium high heat.  Cook onions until softened.  Add potatoes and increase the heat to create crisp brown edges.

Spray crockpot with spray or wipe down with oil.

Pour half of egg/soup mixture into crockpot.

Layer sausage crumbles next.

Layer potatoes and onions next.

Layer remaining egg/soup mixture next.

Top with cheese.

Cook on low for 30 minutes.  Reduce to “keep warm” setting.  Everyone can eat at their leisure as they get up.  I keep spreading the remaining casserole around in the crock pot to keep it from getting dried out at an edge from a spoon.

 

 

Pineapple Danish Casserole

8 slices bread crumbled ( I used swirl with cinnamon and raisin and super seedy Ezekiel bread.

1 – 1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. honey

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/4 c. peach preserves

Spray 9 x 9 baking dish with coconut oil.

Mix Bread, ricotta, butter, and honey.

Spread into bottom of the sprayed baking dish.

Mix pineapple and preserves.  Spread over bread mixture.

Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes.

 

French Toast Sausage Casserole and Cheesy Apple Grits

French Toast Sausage Casserole

10 sausage links (I used al fresco chicken breakfast sausage)

1 loaf King’s Hawaiian Bread

3 eggs

2 Tbsp. Silk Vanilla Coffee Creamer

Brown sausage in skillet.

Combine egg and creamer.

Slice 10 pieces of bread to wrap sausage.  I used King’s Hawaiian Bread because it’s sweet.  It was a little fragile though.

Flatten bread and roll around sausage.

Dip in egg and place in 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with coconut oil.

Set aside.  This only needs to cook for 20 minutes, but the Cheesy Apple Grits takes 40 minutes to bake.

4 c. water

4 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. grits

2 c. shredded cheese

4 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 apple, sliced

cinnamon

Bring water, sugar, and salt to a boil.  Add grits and cook until thickened.

Stir in shredded cheese.

Stir in eggs beaten with milk.

Pour into 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with coconut oil

Top with apple slices and sprinkle with cinnamon.

This needs to bake at 450 for 40 minutes.

I set the timer for 20, so that I could put the french toast casserole in beside it to have them finish up together.

 

Blueberry Honey Millet Muffins – Adapted from Super Natural Every Day’s Recipe for Millet Muffins

2 1/4 c. cake flour

1/3 c. raw millet

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. yogurt (I used strawberry on the bottom greek style)

2 eggs

1/2 c. melted butter

1/2 c. honey

2 Tbsp. key lime juice

1 c. fresh  blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 F and line muffin tins with paper liners sprayed with coconut oil.  I only filled them halfway, so I got 24.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Whisk eggs lightly, add in yogurt, buter, honey and juice.

Gently stir wet ingredients into dry ones just until combined.  Do not overmix.

Fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into muffin tins.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until nice and brown.

Brunch Casserole Using Leftover French Fries

4 c. leftover french fries

1 lb. breakfast sausage

1 crescent dough

10 eggs

1/3 c. milk

2 c. shredded cheese

Butter 13 x 9 baking dish and spread crescent dough (I used garlic) into the bottom, sealing seams.

Brown sausage (I used maple) and drain well.

Spread sausage over crescent dough.  Top with fries.  If the fries are soggy, put them in the oven for a few minutes at 450 sprayed with coconut oil spray until they are a little crisper.

Combine eggs and milk (as you can see from my picture I did a terrible job and had poorly blended eggs – looks terrible but still tastes yummy)

Top fries with shredded cheese and pour egg mixture over carefully.  You can refrigerate overnight at this point, so you’re not making it all drowsy in the morning, like I was.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Substitute any meat for the sausage.  Substitute any potatoes for the fries.  Use any cheese you like (I used colby jack). Add in vegetables (this is a great way to use up leftovers) or make it vegetarian to make it healthier!