Overnight Baked French Toast

Ingredients:
1 Loaf French Bread (13-16 oz)
8 Large eggs
2 C Half/Half
1 C Milk
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash salt

Praline Topping Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 C packed light brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans
2 TBS light corn syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

• Slice French Bread into 20 slices (1 in. each). (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs)
• Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. 
• In a large bowl combine Eggs, Half/Half, Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & salt.
• Beat with rotary beater or whisk until blended, but not too bubbly.
• Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with milk/egg mixture.
• Spoon some of the mixture between slices.
• Cover with foil & refrigerate overnight.
• Next Day, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread & bake for 40 minutes (uncovered) until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

MFP Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

I still use this blog! It's an easy way for me to find old favorites and share recipes. :) So I'm adding this one bc I make it all the time and wanted it to be typed up in neater fashion than my current chicken scratch paper! lol! Hope some of you can enjoy this recipe too! xoxo, B


Ingredients:

• 2 sweet medium potatoes
• 2 cans black beans (drain & rinse)
• fresh spinach, chopped up
• salsa (optional)
• 1-2 cans mild red enchilada sauce
• shredded cheddar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Peel & dice sweet potato (I microwave mine after I peel it to soften it up too)
• Mix the diced sweet potato, chopped spinach & black beans all together. 
• Season the mixture with cumin, garlic powder, s&p to your liking (add in the salsa if using)
• Divide mixture evenly between tortillas & add a little shredded cheese (half corn/ half flour kind work well)
• Place roll ups seam down, in a pan and pour enchilada sauce over them. Top with more shredded cheese.
• Bake until heated through and cheese is melted about 20 min.

Enjoy! These enchiladas are also in My Fitness Pal for easy tracking (if you're into that kinda thing ;))!

Breakfast Pizza

I made this breakfast pizza today for my Sunday school class. Several people asked for the recipe, and I've often meant to upload the recipe to this site for safe keeping...so, here it is.  This recipe actually holds sentimental value for me. I uploaded the picture of the original recipe card which was written out for me by Lela Thomas, who has since passed away. Growing up I used to spend the night at my best friend's house & her grandmom made this for us once. I must have raved on and on about it  (even in my childhood) because she sent me home with the recipe! :) I've only tweaked it slightly. I use the Pillsbury ready made thin pizza crust, instead of crescent rolls. I've also added bacon to my toppings, but other than that, I use her recipe. It makes me think of Becky and her grandmother every time I make it! Love you Becky--I was so blessed to have you in my life growing up!

Ingredients:
1lb pork sausage
1 pkg crescent rolls (I used the Pillsbury Thin Pizza crust)
1 C frozen shredded hashbrowns
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs
1/4 C milk (I omit the milk sometimes bc if the eggs are too runny, they'll run off the crust)
S&P to taste
2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
*Cooked, crumbled bacon (I added this element in, it's not on the original recipe)

Directions:

• Cook the sausage in a skillet until browned, drain off excess fat.
• Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles, place on pizza pan, points toward center, press over bottoms & up sides to form crust, seal perforations (or if using Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough, unroll and form it to shape of your pan...side note: directions on can say to pre-cook, so I do this for about 5 minutes before topping)
• Spoon cooked, crumbled sausage over the crust.
• Sprinkle hash brown potatoes over sausage.
• Top with shredded cheddar cheese 
• In a bowl, beat eggs together & season to your liking with salt & pepper (this is also where you would add in the 1/4 C milk, but recently I've omitted the milk to make the eggs less runny)
• Pour the eggs over the sausage, potatoes, & cheese
• If using crumbled bacon, add it on top next
• Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over all
• Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or so...(I followed the directions on the Pillsbury can for how to cook their dough/pizza...it recommended the pre-baking and it calls for the pizza to be cooked at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or so) You may just have to play with the cooking process depending on what type of dough you are using, etc.

That's it! Hope you enjoy! And in Heaven one day you can tell Lela Thomas that she made a really great breakfast pizza. :)

Crunchy Romaine Salad (with Grilled Chicken)

My mom got me hooked on this salad. She said she got hooked on it from a church fellowship. The original recipe is entitled "Mary Lou's Romaine Salad" so I guess we all have Mary Lou to thank for this! :)


Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 head broccoli, divided into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 pkg Ramen noodles, crushed
1/4 C pecans, chopped
Grilled chicken optional (see notes below for marinade)

3 T butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, mix chopped romaine lettuce, broccoli and green onions.  For crunchies, slightly brown Ramen noodles & pecans in butter, yum!
I used a large glass measuring cup for the salad dressing: whisk together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar & soy sauce. 

I marinated and grilled chicken to toss on top of the salad. I put 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag & drizzled them with olive oil. I seasoned them with garlic powder, garlic salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, dijon mustard & soy sauce. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes. Grill the chicken and cut into chunks. Toss onto the salad and then pour the salad dressing recipe above over it all.  It's divine! Thanks Mary Lou! :)

Sausage, Pepperoni & Pasta Casserole

Confession. I got this recipe off an episode of "Sandra's Money Saving Meals!" :} But I tweaked it slightly and it was a hit with the fam, so I want to remember how I made it!

Ingredients:
Box of Pasta (rotini, or your favorite kind)
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 squash, diced
1 pkg sliced pepperoni, rough chopped
1 link of beef sausage sliced thin (I kind of cubed mine)
Spaghetti sauce (make your own or jarred)
Shredded italian cheese
Bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees--Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set aside
2. Cook pasta according to package directions
3. Heat some olive oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion, zucchini & squash (I also added fresh minced garlic to this mix)
4. Cook the veggies until softened and then toss in the chopped pepperoni & sliced sausage
5. Add in tomato sauce (you may or may not use the entire jar...just use your best judgement) You can also sprinkle some of the Italian cheese in and mix it all together.
6. Toss in some of the pasta when it's ready (again, eyeball it, you probably won't need a full box)
7. Pour this entire mixture into the 9x13 pan & sprinkle a little of the bread crumbs over the top & a little more of the Italian cheese
8. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it's a little crispy on top.

Serve this with some Garlic, Butter Toast and/or a side salad (maybe even a Caesar salad)
Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta

 I forget how easy this dish is and I used to make it all the time! Tara requested it the other day; I made it tonight & thought I'd share this simple yummy (easy) dinner! I apologize if my directions are rambling or don't make sense...this is one recipe where I actually wing it, so it turns out slightly different every time!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed & cut into chunks)
1 box rotini pasta
1 pkt Knorr Pesto Pasta (unless you prefer to make your own pesto)
olive oil
diced onion, bell pepper
Italian seasoning
s&p
parmesan cheese or Feta! (optional)
olives & roma tomato (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to box directions, drain & set to the side
2. In a small saucepan make up the Knorr Pesto to mix in later
3. In a large skillet drizzle olive oil & sauté some garlic, & onion/bell pepper finely diced (or cheat like me & buy the kind that's already diced & ready in the freezer section)! Throw in the chicken that you've cut up--I always season my chicken with a little s&p, garlic salt & some Italian seasoning before tossing it in the skillet.
4. Cook chicken until no longer pink in the middle and toss a little of the Pesto sauce over it while it's cooking.
5. When the chicken is done, toss the pasta noodles in the skillet with it & drizzle more of the Pesto over it all.
6. Tonight when I made this I did not have any Roma tomatoes on hand, but in the past I have added diced Roma tomatoes & sliced black olives to this mixture and it is divine!
7. Serve it up and be sure to sprinkle some cheese over the top--my kids like Parmesan on theirs, but if you are a fan of Feta, it is soo good on top of this dish!

Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Sugar Cake

• Found this recipe on Pinterest. It was amazing. Will definitely use this simple sugar cake as the base for future Strawberry Shortcake. But it was also good just by itself sprinkled with powdered sugar as pictured. Definitely a keeper recipe!

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used coconut oil)
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg whites
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Cream together shortening and milk for about 3 minutes, (it will look like small curd cottage cheese.) Add in vanilla.
2. in a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add flour, one third at a time to the milk mixture, blending well after each addition.
3. Lastly, add in egg whites, beating just until all combined.
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured (do not use a spray) 10 inch cast iron skillet.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, using a toothpick inserted in the center to test for doneness.
6. Let cool on wire rack for at least 45 minutes before serving, lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

You can also bake this in 10 inch casserole dish or a 10 inch baking pan.