Baked Croissant Blueberry French Toast

French toast made with croissants - seems like the stars are lining up just right, eh?
We (Tony, Emily and I) first had this at a department brunch during her Notre Dame commencement week and it was memorable enough that we analyzed it and took notes with the hopes of duplication.  Fast forward to this week when I have a Costco-sized pack of croissants and a ladies group that needs lunch - again with the stars!  Unfortunately, neither Emily nor I could locate notes, but I did come up with something pretty nice on the 'net.

French Toast
6 -8 plain croissants, cut in half lengthwise
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 orange, zest
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt

Topping
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Blueberry Syrup
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

• For the French toast: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the croissant halves in the baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, half-and-half, nutmeg, vanilla, Grand Marnier, orange zest, 1/4 cup brown sugar, white sugar and salt. Pour this mixture over the croissants. Cover the baking dish and chill until all of the liquid is absorbed, at least 2 hours.
• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow baking pan, spread the pecans evenly and toast until fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss pecans with the 1 teaspoon butter and salt.
• Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the croissant mixture. Melt 1/4 cup butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring until the butter is melted. Drizzle this mixture over the baking dish and bake for 20 inutes, or until the liquid from the blueberries is bubbling.
• For the blueberry syrup: In a small saucepan, cook blueberries and maple syrup over moderate heat until berries have burst, about 3 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve; stir in the lemon juice.
• Sprinkle the croissant French toast with toasted pecans. Serve with the syrup.

NOTES:

French Toast

• I used Orange Curacao instead of Grand Marnier.  It was orange-y, it's a fraction of the cost, and I had it on hand.
• I also ramped it up with about 1/4 tsp. of orange oil.  No regrets.
• I sliced the croissants in half and put some blueberries in the middle.  I also sprinkled some brown sugar in there, but it probably wan't necessary.
• I do remember the original inspiration having some connection with cream cheese in the middle but when I looked at the nutrition facts page of this recipe, I decided that maybe cream cheese wasn't all that necessary after all.
• 6 Costco croissants = one cake pan.
• After slicing them in half, re-assemble by giving the tops a 180 degree twist so the thick side of the top ends up on the thin side of the bottom.  Uniform thickness is the goal.

Topping

• I don't typically bother with unsalted butter.  (Heck, the recipes that use it almost always have you adding salt along the way somewhere anyway.)
• Because I'm inclined to skim while reading wanted to save time, I didn't bother to toast the pecans, and I just added them right away before baking instead of messing around with that whole "increase the temp" and "drizzle carefully" thing.  I just mixed the pecans, brown sugar and melted butter together and spooned it on the top.
• I tried Aldi's canned blueberries for this recipe and they were pretty great.  It's not that gloppy pie filling stuff, but real blueberries canned in a light syrup.  (Sorry, I can't find a link.  They were canned, not frozen though.)

Syrup

• Seriously, don't bother.  It would be too sweet and you've already added enough blueberries by this point anyhow.

One more operation note and one word of caution:

• I started with these top-side-up soaking up all that egg and nutmeg goodness, but even by morning there were still dry spots on the top of those oversized Costco monstrosities.  I ended up flipping each of them upside down to help (and it worked).  A better strategy would be to start top side down and flip them the next day so the more attractive side is up before baking.  A minor detail since it was smothered in blueberries and pecans anyway, but I'd do it that way next time.
• Just focus on the health benefits of blueberries and don't follow the link to the nutrition facts box in the original recipe.

Oven Baked Fajitas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
• In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.
• Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
• Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
• Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Notes:

• The method was great.  Actually, better than great!  Quick and easy and things were a good texture.
• I baked for 20 minutes in the convection oven.
• There were probably more spices than necessary, for us anyway.
• I'd definitely do this again.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

This one is dairy light and veggie & egg intense.

3/4 pound uncooked sausage, casings removed
optional: 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to give the sausage more flavor
2 bell peppers, diced (any color you prefer; about 2 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 slices day-old gluten free bread (or whole wheat, white, sourdough, etc)
10 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Directions:

• Place sausage in the skillet and begin to break it up with a spatula or fork. Stir in the rosemary and brown the sausage, about 6-7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, set a 2nd skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil. (If you have a skillet large enough to fit both the sausage and veggies, you can just add the veggies to the sausage that is browning in step 1.) Add the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onion, garlic, and a sprinkle each of salt and pepper. Begin stirring and cooking the veggies down until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
• Set sausage and veggies aside.
• Generously grease a 9x13 baking pan. Break the bread into pieces and place in the pan in an even layer.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese together. Pour half of this egg mixture over the bread. Top with the sausage and vegetables, then the remaining egg mixture and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top.
• Cover casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight-- or up to 1 day. Allow it to come to room temperature before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the top is golden, edges are crisp, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean-- about 40-45 minutes. I like mine on the super crisp side, so I bake it for around 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Kevin loves hot sauce on top of his. Try it! Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave to your liking.
• Make ahead tip/Freezing instructions: Obviously this is a make ahead recipe! However, you can brown the sausage and cook down the veggies up to 2 days in advance-- simply put the two in a tupperware in the refrigerator until ready to use in the recipe. Also, you can freeze this breakfast casserole. Prepare through step 5, then cover the casserole with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, then continue with step 7.

NOTES:

• Two whole peppers seemed a little intense.  I just used one plus a few little sweet red ones from the garden.  (I doubt they added up to an additional half though.)
• The sage was good.
• I'd use less garlic next time.
• Loved the spinach and mushrooms in it.
• I divided it all in half.  We ate one for brunch and froze the other for later.
• And I should also note my huge success - after owning my "new" stove for a couple years now, I finally tried the delayed start feature.  It worked flawlessly and was almost ready to eat when we got home from Mass.  Hooray!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon melted butter
1⁄2 medium chopped onion
1⁄4 cup melted butter
1⁄4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1⁄2 lb fresh broccoli (chopped into bite size pieces)
1 cup carrot, chopped
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
crusty bread

• Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
• Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
• Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.
• Serve with crusty bread and Enjoy :).

NOTES:

• I'd consider steaming (or microwaving) the veggies a little next time.  
• I used processed cheese instead of cheddar.  Don't judge, it melts perfectly!
• Considering the cheese choice, I did not add any additional salt.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold water
5 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water until smooth. Add 3 cups blueberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Remove from the heat. Add butter, lemon juice and remaining berries; stir until butter is melted. Cool. Pour into pastry shell. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 8 servings.

NOTES:

• Recommended by Like Mother Like Daughter and from Taste of Home.
• I made the recipe as is and really liked it!
• Using a frozen crust made this a super easy dessert.
• Having uncooked berries really makes a difference!  It's pretty delicious.

Sour Cream Cucumber Salad

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Pepper to taste
4 medium cucumbers, peeled if desired and thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

In a large bowl, whisk sour cream, vinegar, sugar and pepper until blended. Add cucumbers and onion; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 8 servings.

NOTES:

• Delicious and I always have the ingredients on hand.
• It's very easy to adjust the amount.  (Hello, single cucumber!)
• Much better with some dill weed, obviously.
• Source

Key Lime Pie

from The Gourmet Cookbook

1¼ c graham cracker crumbs (from nine crackers)
2 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter, melted
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
6 T fresh or bottled key lime juice (I used 8.)
¾ c cold heavy cream

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°. Butter a 9-in pie plate.

Stir together cracker crumbs, butter and sugar with a fork until well combined. Press evenly into pie plate and bake for 10 minutes.

Whisk together condensed milk and yolks until well combined. Add juice and whisk well. Pour filling into crust, bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely on rack, then chill for at least 8 hours.

Just before serving, beat the cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Spread cream on top of pie.