Read The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever Online
Authors: Susie Cushner
The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (13 page)
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cup finely chopped onions
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cup chopped green bell peppers
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cup diced red bell peppers
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- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Mix the eggs, milk, and salt together in a medium bowl. Blot the potatoes between sheets of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press the potatoes into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Drizzle with the melted butter.
- Bake the crust for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lower the oven heat to 375°F.
- Spread the ham over the bottom of the crust. Top with the cheese, onions, and green and red bell peppers. Pour the egg and milk mixture over all.
- Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
We made 50 of these pies to feed 300 people for a brunch at church. When we compared the taste of a pie made with fresh tomatoes with one made with canned, the canned won out.
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FOR THE CRUST:
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cup butter at room temperature, plus extra for the pan
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cup instant mashed potato flakes
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cup all-purpose flour
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cup grated Parmesan cheese
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teaspoon salt
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cup water
FOR THE FILLING:
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cups shredded Cheddar cheese
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cup instant mashed potato flakes
1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup sliced mushrooms
FOR THE EGG MIXTURE:
5 large eggs
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4
cup sour cream
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teaspoon salt
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan.
- To prepare the crust:
In a medium bowl, stir the
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cup butter,
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cup mashed potato flakes, the flour, Parmesan cheese, and
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teaspoon salt together until well mixed and crumbly. Drizzle the water over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until the dough holds together. - Press the dough into the pie pan with your fingers and flute the edges. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust feels dry.
- To make the filling:
Spread
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cup of the shredded cheese, the
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cup mashed potato flakes, tomatoes, and mushrooms evenly over the top. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese. - To make the egg mixture:
Beat together the eggs, sour cream, and
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teaspoon salt. Carefully pour over the ingredients in the pie shell, poking a hole here and there to allow the mixture to permeate the filling. - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the filling is set. Cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Remember this simple dish when you have houseguests. Put it together the night before and refrigerate it, covered. It’s perfect for a leisurely winter morning. Your guests will wake up to the great smells of cinnamon and maple as the French toast bakes.
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1 loaf 2-day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
12 large eggs
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 quart heavy cream
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tablespoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon for garnish
Butter at room temperature, for serving
Warmed maple syrup for serving
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- Put the bread slices in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, heavy cream, and vanilla. Pour over the bread and let set for 1 hour. Turn the slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, turn the bread once again and sprinkle with cinnamon. Let stand for 15 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the French toast, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes, until the toast feels firm to the touch and no egg mixture appears around the edges. Serve with butter and warmed maple syrup.
This is definitely a summery brunch dish. When strawberries are in season, add them to the compote as well.
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FOR THE COMPOTE:
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cups chopped pineapple
1 cup chopped mango
1 cup chopped papaya
1 cup chopped kiwifruit
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
FOR THE FRENCH TOAST:
16 slices French bread (1 inch thick), cut on the diagonal
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cups light coconut milk
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
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cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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cup sweetened flaked coconut
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- To prepare the compote:
Combine the pineapple, mango, papaya, kiwifruit, sugar, and lime juice in a serving bowl. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight. - To make the French toast:
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the bottom. Combine the coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, stirring with a whisk. Pour evenly over the bread, and turn the bread over to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the bread mixture from the refrigerator and uncover. Turn the bread slices over, and sprinkle evenly with the flaked coconut. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the coconut is golden. Serve warm with the fruit compote.
You might serve this with sliced fresh strawberries when they are in season. In winter, serve with sliced bananas and oranges on the side.
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1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for the dish
One loaf (1 pound) French bread
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
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teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
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teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Maple syrup for serving
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- Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cut the bread into 20 slices, about 1 inch thick. Arrange the slices in the baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla,
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teaspoon of the cinnamon, and
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teaspoon of the nutmeg. Beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not bubbly. - Pour the mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk and egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- For the praline topping, in a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup butter, the brown sugar, pecans, corn syrup, the remaining
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teaspoon cinnamon, and the remaining
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teaspoon nutmeg. Spread the praline mixture evenly over the bread. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned and the center of the casserole is set. Serve with maple syrup.
Pumpkin pie spice—a combination of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves—has a special affinity for egg and milk mixtures. This is a perfect choice for a holiday breakfast or brunch.
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1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
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cup (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 large loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
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pound cooked ham, finely chopped (2 cups)
6 large eggs, beaten
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cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon
pumpkin pie spice
Maple syrup for serving
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- Combine the brown sugar, butter, and honey in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the pecans. Top with half of the bread slices, and scatter the ham on top.
- Combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until well mixed. Dip the remaining bread slices in the egg mixture on one side only. Place over the ham, dipped side down. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread slices. Combine the sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Uncover the French toast and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 8 servings. Serve with maple syrup.
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NOTES:
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, substitute
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teaspoon ground cinnamon,
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teaspoon ground ginger,
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teaspoon ground nutmeg, and
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teaspoon ground cloves.
To toast the pecans, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread out the nuts on a cookie sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until aromatic and lightly browned.
You definitely want to use fresh blueberries with this one. When I made it with frozen blueberries, the blueberry juice turned the French bread and custard a sickly shade of purple while baking. The flavor was still delicious, however, and our granddaughter just about devoured the whole thing!
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1 large loaf (1 pound) French bread, crust removed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 cup fresh blueberries
12 large eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
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cup maple syrup
FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup blueberries
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- Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread half in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and scatter over the bread. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top and cover with the remaining half of the bread cubes.
- Mix the eggs, milk, and maple syrup in a large bowl and pour over the bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake the French toast for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes longer, until set.
- While the French toast bakes, make the blueberry sauce:
Combine the sugar, water, cornstarch, and butter in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the blueberries, reduce the heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. - Slice the French toast and serve warm with the warm blueberry sauce.
Here’s another idea for breakfast or brunch. It’s a very flexible recipe. Assemble the casserole a day ahead if you like, or just before baking. For other fruit flavors, check the variations below.