Patato Bacon Casserole

Preheat: 350° F Bake: 1 hr Serves: 6
Ingredients:

• 4 cups shredded potatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 8 oz bacon bacon; cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can evaporated milk (or reduce regular milk on the stove top)
• 1 lg egg; lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt

Directions:

1. Grease 8-inch-square baking dish.
2. LAYER 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bacon and 1/2 cheese in prepared baking dish; repeat layers. Combine evaporated milk, egg and seasoned salt in small bowl. Pour evenly over potato mixture; cover.
3. Bake. bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Tips: Easily doubled to fit a 9x13" baking dish.

Baked Oatmeal Casserole

Preheat: 375°F Bake: 35-45 min Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 c rolled oats
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c walnut pieces, divided 1/2
• 1 c berries, divided 1/2
• 1/2 c milk chocolate chips, divided 1/2
• 2 c milk
• 1 lg egg
• 3 Tbs butter, melted
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2" slices

 Directions: 

1. Grease a 10 1/2x7" baking dish.
2. In a lg mixing bowl combine: oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and half of the walnuts, berries and chocolate. Add the mixture to the baking dish.
3. Arrange bananas and remaining berries, walnuts and chocolate on top.
4. Rinse mixing bowl than whisk together: milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture over Oatmeal mixture evenly, gently shaking the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats. 
5. Bake until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set.
6. For additional sweetness sprinkle an extra Tbs or so of brown sugar over the top.

French Toast Casserole

Preheat: 350F Prep: 15 min Bake: ab 45 min Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread, cubed (see recipe)
  
• 6 eggs
• 3 c half & half (see recipe)
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredient Options:

• Butter & a light dusting of cinnamon & sugar
  
• Butter drizzled with pure maple syrup
• Butter & a light dusting of confectioners sugar
• Whipped honey butter (see recipe)
  

Directions:

1. Place bread cubes in a greased 3-qt shallow baking dish.
2. Beat eggs, half & half, & vanilla in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk.
3. Pour over the bread cubes.
4. Cover dish and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
5. Uncover the dish & Bake until golden brown and set in the center.
6. Top with your choice of topping while still hot & serve with a tall glass of milk.

Tip: For convenience you can use 1, 16 oz, loaf cinnamon rasin bread from your local grocer or bakery.

Bread Pudding

Preheat: 350°F Prep: 20 min Bake: 40-50 min Serves: 15 Cost: Under $1 per serving

Note: In my house we never have stale or leftover bread... When I want to make bread pudding I have to actively buy bread for the pudding. So I stop in at my local supermarket bakery & see if they have any day old french bread. They will even cut it up into chunks for me while I am doing the rest of my shopping. Talk about your mess saver!

Pudding Ingredients:

• 2 loaves french bread, cubed (about 8 c)
• 2 c raisins (juicy fat raisins, not super dry tiny ones)
• 4 c whole milk
• 1/2 c salted butter
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2-4 Tbs real vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs ground cinnamon

Simple Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Optional; Vanilla Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c whipping cream
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbs dark rum, optional

Directions:

1. Combine bread & raisins in a lg bowl
2. In a sauce pan, over mead heat, cook milk & butter until butter is melted.
3. Pour milk mixture over bread & raisins; let stand 10 min.
4. Stir in remaining pudding ingredients letting stand several minutes, repeating the process several times until bread is soaking.
5. Pour into a lightly buttered 9x13 in baking dish.
6. Top with sweetened condensed milk.
7. Bake until center is set & top is browned & bubbly.
8. Best served warm.

Vanilla Sauce directions:

1. In saucepan, over med heat, cook: sugar, brown sugar, whipping cream, butter, & rum if desired; stirring occasionally until mixture thickens & comes to a full boil, 5-8 minutes.
2. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
3. Serve sauce over warm pudding.

Breakfast Bake

Preheat: 350 F Prep: 10 min Bake: 10-15 min Serves: 4 Cost per serving: $1

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 3 c sliced or chopped vegetables, such as: bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, onions, peas, tomatoes (seeded) or zucchini (may be frozen but must be thawed before adding)
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1, 2 oz, package cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 c cubed day old bread
• 1/3 c cooked ham
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/3 c shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Cut vegetables so they are all ab the same size.
2. Heat oil over med high in a lg skillet.
3. Saute garlic.
4. Add vegetables & cook until tender.
5. Turn off heat and pat vegetables to remove moisture, set vegetables aside.
6. In a lg bowl beat cream cheese until smooth.
7. Add eggs to cream cheese & beat well.
8. Stir vegetables, bread, ham, & pepper into egg mixture.
9. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 in baking dish.
10. Bake, uncovered until the egg mixture doesn't jiggle.
11. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese & let stand 5-10 min before serving.
    

Banana Breakfast Split

Prep: 5 min Serves: 4-8 Cost per serving: $1.50

Ingredients:

• 4 sm bananas
• 2 c low-fat yogurt
• 1 c granola or flake cereal
• 2 c washed & sliced/chopped fresh fruit or berries, such as: apple, kiwi, orange, or strawberries

Optional Toppings:

• spices: cinnamon or nutmeg
• chopped nuts
  

Directions:

1. Cut bananas in half lengthwise & place in a shallow bowl.
2. Top with yogurt, cereal, fruit, & any optional toppings.
3. Serve.
   

PB Pita Pockets

Prep: 15 min Serves: 4, 1/2 pita Cost per serving: $1

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh fruit, such as: apples, pears, bananas, peaches, or mangoes
• 2 med whole wheat pita pockets
• 1/4 c peanut butter

Directions:

1. Wash & slice fruit.
2. Cut pitas in half to form 4 pockets.
3. Warm each pita in the microwave for ab 10 seconds to make them flexible.
4. Carefully open ea pocket & add ab 1 Tbs peanut butter to its inside walls (you may need to warm the PB as well).
5. Fill each pocket with sliced fruit.
6. Serve at room temp with a cold glass of milk.
   

Banana Bread

Prep: 20 min Preheat: 350 F Bake: 60 min Serves: 10 or more Cost: $

I have vigorously attempted to make this a lower calorie/sugar bread. All attempts have failed to yield a successful batch. I have used Splenda, applesauce as well as several other things. I've given up. After 6 batches that were nearly inedible, had the texture & taste of cardboard, I have returned to tell everyone this is the best recipe I have ever made & well worth the extra fats & sugars!

Ingredients:

• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp (sodium free) baking soda or 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie seasoning
• 1 tsp salt (optional)
• 3/4 c dark brown sugar
• 8 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/4 c buttermilk or regular milk
• 2 Tbs vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 over-ripe bananas
• 1 slightly green banana
• 2+ Tbs raw, coarse sugar

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 c crushed walnuts or pecans
• 1 c blueberries
• 1 c baking chips, (chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, white chocolate...)
• 1/2 c coconut
• 2-3 Tbs honey
• top with butter crumb

Directions

1. Sift together: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl cream together brown sugar and butter.
3. In a third bowl beat eggs, buttermilk, & vanilla.
4. Peel the over-ripe bananas & add to egg bowl, mash but don't over mash.
5. Pour creamed sugar & mashed bananas to the sifted dry ingredients bowl & mix until flour is moistened.
6. Peel the slightly green banana and cut into centimeter sized cubes.
7. Gently fold the cubed banana into the dough.
8. Pour dough into a lightly grease a loaf or muffin pan.
9. Evenly coat the top of the dough with coarse sugar.
10. Bake.
11. Allow to cool, remove from loaf pan & cut into desired thickness (in my house its just under 1 in per slice)
12. Serve topped with butter and a glass of milk.

Moon Over Miami (or egg in a basket)

Prep: 15 min Serves: 1

This recipe has many different names: birds nest, bulls eye eggs, cowboy eggs, egg-in-a-hole, egg in a/the basket, eggs in a blanket, elephant egg bagel, frog in a hole, gas house eggs, moon eggs, Moon over Miami, and Rocky Mountain toast.

Ingredients:

1. 1 slice bread (can use half a bagel or a waffle instead)
2. butter, margarine or bacon grease for you southern food lovers out there!
   
3. 1 egg

Optional Ingredients:

1. salt & pepper to taste
2. hot sauce
3. shredded cheese
   

Directions:

1. Use a cookie cutter to cut a hole in the middle of a slice of bread (most people choose a circle, oval or egg shape but to make it more fun I let my kids pick any shape they want- my oldest usually picks a skull & my youngest a dog or flower).
   
2. Lightly grease the bread on both sides.
3. Fry bread like you are frying a grilled cheese sandwich.
4. Crack an egg into the cut-out hole
   

Holiday French Toast

Prep: 15 min Cook: 15 min Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1. 1 qt Premium Heavy Egg Nog
2. 1 Loaf french bread sliced
3. 1 tsp ground nutmeg
4. Vegetable Oil for Frying

Topping Ingredients:

1. Real butter (optional)
   
2. 1/2 c powder sugar
3. 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4. 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
   

Directions:

1. Mix 1 tsp ground nutmeg into 1/2 c powder sugar & set aside.
2. Place a nonstick fry pan on medium high heat.
3. Add oil when the pan begins to get hot.
4. Enough oil is needed so the pan is barley covered, about 1 Tbs for 2-3 slices of bread.
5. In a shallow dish place enough egg nog so the slices of bread are halfway submerged.
6. Dip bread on both sides & place into hot oil.
7. While bread is frying mix all topping ingredients and place in sifter.
   
8. When bread has been toasted on each side & turned a golden brown remove from pan & place on serving plates.
9. (optional) Butter toast.
   
10. Sprinkle toast with powder sugar mixture & serve.

PB&J Muffins

Preheat: 375ºF Prep: 15 min Bake: 20 min Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1. Non-stick cooking spray
2. 2 c wheat flour
3. 1 1/2 tsp salt
4. 1 Tbs baking powder
5. 1 c milk
6. 2 lg eggs
7. 2/3 c sugar
8. 1 c creamy peanut butter
9. 1/3 c vegetable oil
10. 1/2 c seedless jam or preserves
11. 1/4 c raw, coarse ground sugar

Directions:

1. Spray muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Stir together flour, salt & baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Add milk, eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, peanut butter & oil to bowl.
4. Combine ingredients on low speed of electric mixer, just until moistened. Do not over beat!!!
5. FILL prepared muffin cups evenly with half of the batter.
6. Place 2 level teaspoons jam or preserves in the center of each muffin.
7. Evenly divide remaining batter between muffin cups.
8. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coarse sugar.
9. Bake.
10. Remove from oven.
11. Cool in pan 5 minutes.