Eggs Benedict Breakfast Casserole

So here’s the recipe for the breakfast casserole but I add between 4-6 slices of crumbled bacon and 1 1/2-2 cups gruyere cheese and omit the holland aide sauce. (Just cuz either I am lazy or if I am making this for a shower I don’t want to have to worry about keeping the sauce warm. But the hollandaise sauce is really good. If you add the sauce I would omit the cheese or cut it back by half.)enjoy! 

From the kitchen of Charla S.

Creme Brulee Casserole

Creme Brulee French Toast Casserole
Adapted from The Pastry Queen

1 large loaf of French bread
8 large eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1 cup plus 4-5 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 T vanilla extract
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp cinnamon
3 T unsalted butter

Combine eggs, milk, 1 cup sugar, salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, orange juice, and 2 T melted butter in a large bowl.  Whisk together until well incorporated.  Use remaining butter to heavily butter a 9x13 baking pan.  Slice bread into 1/2" thick slices and then cut slices into cubes.  Combine remaining cinnamon and 1 T sugar.  Add bread cubes to pan and toss with cinnamon sugar mixture.  Pour custard mixture over bread cubes, pressing cubes down with a spoon to thoroughly soak bread.  Cover with foil and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Bake approximately 40-50 minutes until golden brown and set.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining 3-4 T of sugar over the top of the casserole in an even, heavy layer.  Set broiler on high and return to oven or use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar.  The sugar will turn brown and liquefy and then harden as it cools.  Serve warm with maple syrup if desired.

"I would also recommend watching the broiler like a hawk if you do the creme brulee finish under the broiler.  Our oven on vacation was a little quicker than my broiler at home and I ended up with a topping that was a little crispy.  Whether you use a broiler or a kitchen torch for more control, this casserole ended up delicious.  It makes for a fantastic breakfast or brunch treat, especially because all the prep work is done the night before and you just have to pop it in the oven in the morning."
source: http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/08/creme-brulee-french-toast-casserole.html?m=1

Pumpkin Cookies from Aunt Cathy J's kitchen

WET INGREDIENTS

2 cups Pumpkin

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

DRY INGREDIENTS

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

Add 2 cups chocolate semi-sweet chips.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

THESE ARE JAMES'S favorite

40 Mile Stew

Chopped onion
Hamburger
Potatoes
Carrots
Salt and pepper
Grated cheese
Sausage Links (pre-cooked)

Saute onions in a dutch oven.  Add the hamburger and brown.  Add potatoes and carrots.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add some water filling to about an inch on the bottom of the dutch oven. Cover the stew and cook. Check occasionally to see if you need to add more water.  (This will depend a lot on how hot the coals are.)  When the potatoes and carrots are done, add cut sausage links and top with cheese.  Replace lid while cheese melts. 
Additional vegetables such as zucchini and tomatoes may be added.  I would add the zucchini when the potatoes and carrots are almost done and I would add tomatoes with the sausage and cheese.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained
2 c. salsa
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
1 black beans, rinsed & drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Mix and simmer ingredients all day in a crockpot, or mix and heat on medium-high heat on stovetop until boils. Simmer on medium for about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Recipe Source: Ruth Hale

Summer Curried Chicken Salad

• 6 chicken breast halves, bone in, skin on (this makes for moister chicken) or just use Costco rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped 
• 1 1/3 cups mayo
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder (I usually half this)
• 1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, sliced in half
• 1 cup cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and roast until done, about 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Cool, discard skin, remove the meat from the bones, and cut into chunks.

Place chicken chunks in a larger bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the scallions and celery. Mix the mayonnaise and curry powder together, then add to chicken. Add the red grapes and chill. Stir in the cashews just before serving. This salad tastes even better the following day. 

Banana Cake

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Grease two 8 inch round baking pans and line with parchment.

In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas and lemon juice. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture.

Evenly pour batter into baking pans. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Since the cake is baked at a low temperature, the oven times may vary. It is important to keep an eye on the cake and check it often. When the cake is done, place the baking pans directly into the freezer for 45 minutes to cool before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

To make the frosting, cream together all ingredients, adding milk gradually as needed for desired consistency. Whip until light and fluffy.