Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/2 loaves aged or day old, white bread, about 1lb is standard (I used your typical sliced white bread then kept it for a couple of days before using so that it wasn’t as soft and almost stale. You could also just place the bread in the oven at 225 degrees for a couple of minutes to dry the bread out)

1 qt. heavy cream

3 C. sugar

1 egg

1 and a half tsp. vanilla

5 C. raspberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. apple juice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix the cream, sugar, egg and vanilla.

2. Cut bread into 1   1/2 inch cubes and add to cream mixture, coating the bread well.

3. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb.

4. Mix the raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

5. Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan 3/4 full with the bread mix and pour fruit filling over the bread mix, spreading evenly.

6. Top with the remaining bread.

7. Bake 40 minutes at 375. While this is baking, make the Vanilla Cream Sauce (ingredients and directions below)

8. Serve warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.

(If you want it to cut into nice squares you can chill it and then cut it into squares, then microwave it for 20-25 seconds per piece and top with sauce.)

Vanilla Cream Sauce

1 1/3 C. butter

5 T. flour

3 C. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp vanilla

2/3 C. sugar

Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan and add flour.  Stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown.  Add salt, cream and sugar until mix is thick.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Serve warm over the pudding.

  

Adapted from Chef In Training (http://www.chef-in-training.com/search?q=bread+pudding) and Purple Chocolat (http://purplechocolathome.blogspot.com/2011/01/raspberry-bread-pudding.html)

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:1 chicken breast, poached and diced (I used 2 fake chicken breasts)
1 (14.5 oz) can cream of celery soup (you could use cream of chicken also)
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbs Herbs De Provence
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt (I would use a little less as these came out very salty)
2 (10 oz) cans Pillsbury biscuits

Directions:1 Preheat your oven to 400.
2 In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.
3 Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and place the Pillsbury biscuits into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides.
4 Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup. Slide into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Check at the 12 minute mark.
5 Let rest for about 3 minutes and dig in

  

First 3 pictures and recipe adapted from Quick Dish by Tablespoon (http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/2012/03/07/chicken-pot-pie-cupcakes/?nicam4=SocialMedia&nichn4=Tablespoon&niseg4=Pinterest&creativeID4=Post)

Cinnamon Bun French Toast Bake

Ingredients:1/4 cup melted butter

2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
5 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13x9 glass baking dish.  Separate both cans of refrigerated cinnamon buns into 16 cinnamon buns, setting the icing aside.  Then cut each cinnamon bun into 8 pieces and place the pieces on top of the butter in the baking dish
3.  In a medium bowl beat the eggs.  Then beat in the heavy whipping cream, cinnamon, and vanilla until they are well blended. Then gently pour over the cinnamon bun pieces.  Sprinkle the top with the pecans and then drizzle with the maple syrup
4. Bake for 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 15 minutes
5.  Microwave the icing on medium (50%) for 10-15 seconds or until it is thin enough to drizzle.  Drizzle the icing over the top of the French Toast Bake.  Serve with additional syrup if desired.

Adapted from What's Cooking Love (http://whatscookinglove.blogspot.com/2012/01/cinnamon-french-toast-bake.html)

Easy Creamcheesy Danish

Ingredients:

1 tube crescent rolls
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Frozen fruit (mixed berries, cherries, blueberries, or whatever you like)
powdered sugar to top

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla. Set aside.
3. Spray the inside of a cupcake pan very very lightly. Spread the crescent rolls into the cupcake dish making a sort-of-bowl.
4. Spoon the cream cheese into the bowls evenly.
5. Take a handful of fruit and add to each cupcake bowl.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cresecent rolls are golden brown.
7. Let them cool for 5 minutes then dust with powdered sugar.

 

Sleepin' In Omelet

 

Pioneer Woman's Sleepin' In Omelet (above pics from her website)

Ingredients

■6 whole Onion Rolls
■1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
■8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
■1-1/2 stick Butter
■10 whole Eggs
■2 cups Milk
■1 teaspoon Chopped Chives (I used extra since I only had dried chives)
■1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
■1/2 teaspoon Salt
■1 dash Cayenne Pepper

Preparation Instructions:

1. Generously butter an 9x13 baking dish.

2. Tear onion rolls into chunks and place them in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, then tear cream cheese into small pieces and place over the top. Cut 1 ½ sticks butter into pats and place over the top.

3. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the dish.

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. The next morning, bake at 325 degrees, covered, for 45 minutes. The remove foil and continue baking at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

6. Eat. Faint. Repeat.

Recipe from: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/05/sleepin-in-omlette/

French Toast Bake

I usually do not like to toot my own horn, but..... toot toot! I created this recipe based on past french toasts I have made. It was easy to put together and was really delicous. To be completely honest, my measurements were not exact so I may need to tamper with them next time I make this to get more exact measurements. 

After baking this and letting it cool, I cut it into squares and froze them so I could continue to enjoy them through the week. I forgot to take pictures while cooking so had to resort to taking a picture of a piece I was about to devour for breakfast while at work (eating from a super fancy paper plate with a plastic fork! haha!). If you are eating a reheated piece of this, I would recommend microwaving whatever you will be eating for 40 seconds then putting it in the toaster at 400 degrees for a couple of minutes.

Ingredients:

8 ciabatta rolls ripped into small pieces (about 1inch cubes but does not need to be perfect by any means)

4 (ounces) low-fat cream cheese (if warmed slightly it is easier to mix)

8 large eggs
2 cups milk (I used skim but it probably would taste even better with 2% or whole milk)
1/2 cup half and half cream

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

a couple of pats of butter (for pan)

Topping:

1/2 stick butter, warmed

3/4 cup of brown sugar

3/4 cup of sliced almonds

1/2 tsp+ cinnamon (I think I used a bit more)

Directions:

1.  Use the pats of butter to grease a 9x13 baking pan. Place bread cubes in the pan.

2.  In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, milk, half and half, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt with a whisk.  Add eggs and whisk well.    Pour cream cream cheese mixture over the bread; cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight is ideal and easy!

3.  Remove pan from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Also, get the topping ready by combining all the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork. Spread the topping over the french toast.

4.  Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes then turn the over temp to 375 and bake for an additional 20 minutes uncovered, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

5. Serve with maple syrup and ENJOY!

 

Breakfast Egg Nests

I like to be able to take breakfast to work with me but sometimes I need a change from bagels or cereal or such. I can make these on Sunday then freeze them, and then on the night before work just take them out to defrost. Easy and they pack some yummy ingredients. And the good thing about these is that you could add different vegetable and meat mixtures depending on what you like!

Ingredients:
12 egg whites or a carton of  Egg Beaters Egg Whites
1/2 a green pepper diced,
1 tomato diced,
4 sausage links chopped (I used a Morning Star version)
3 cups (or so) Shredded potatoes (I bought the pre-shredded kind and they worked perfectly)
1 tbsp olive oil
12 1/2 inch cubes of Monteray cheese (or any that you like)
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (optional)
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Prehet over to 350. Spray cupcake pan with cooking spray.
2. In a pan, heat the oil. Add in the potatoes and continue cooking until they are golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Take a spoonful of the potatoes and put them in each of the cupcake holes. Make a "nest" out of the potatoes by pressingthem into the bottom and up the sides a bit to creat a shallow bowl.
4. Add in the green peppers, tomatoes and sausage. Put a cube of cheese on top of each.
5. Fill with the egg white mixture then sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you would like it to be very cheesy, then sprinkle each with the cheddar cheese.
6. Bake in the over for about 20 minutes until they are just starting to turn a golden brown on top then serve!

 Without cheddar

 With cheddar