Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

26 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)

1/2 cup light sour cream

3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed - TOPPING

2 tbsp butter, melted - TOPPING 

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat

Add onions and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute

Combine the broth and milk and whisk into the mixture

Add the salt, pepper and thyme - Stir to combine

Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes

Take pot off heat and stir in cheese until smooth

Mix in hash browns and combine

Stir in sour cream

In medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with butter until combined

Scoop potato mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with cornflakes

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving

Baked French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 loaf of French bread (13-16 oz) - Sliced into 20 segments

8 large eggs

2 cups half-n-half

1 cup milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Dash of salt

Praline topping (recipe follows)

Maple syrup 

Directions

Arrange slices in generously buttered 9 x 13 baking dish in 2 overlapping rows

In a bowl, mix eggs, half-n-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmetg, and salt

Pour mixture over bread slices

Spoon mixture in between bread slices

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spread the praline topping evenly over bread and bake for 40 minutes until lightly golden

Serve with maple syrup

 

Praline Topping:

2 sticks butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

Blueberry Strata

Ingredients

12 slices firm white bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 8 cups)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into small cubes

8 eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

Directions

Spread half the bread cubes onto the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish

Cover with 1 cup blueberries, cream cheese and remaining bread

Whisk eggs, milk and cinnamon in a bowl

Add 1/3 cup of syrup and sugar - Mix well

Pour over the bread and let sit overnight in the fridge

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Bake strata covered 60-65 minutes until top is lightly browned

Uncover after 30 minutes

Bring remaining syrup and blueberries to boil in a saucepan - Simmer on medium-low

Serve over strata

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

4 cups pasta noodles

6.5 tbsp butter

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup roasted red peppers (jarred), finely chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely minced

4 tbsp flour

2.5 cups milk

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz crusty Italian bread or baguette, torn into large chunks

Directions

Cook pasta and drain

Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in small skillet over medium-high heat

Add onion, red pepper, and jalapenos - Cook and stir about 5-7 minutes

In medium saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium-high heat

Once butter is melted, whisk in flour

Cook mixture, whisking constantly until it turns a light golden brown/foams (about 2 minutes)

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt/pepper

Add cheeses to the mix and whisk until completely melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Butter a 2 quart casserole dish

Return drained pasta to pot

Add in sauteed vegetables and cheese sauce - Mix well

Transfer all to the casserole dish

Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in small bowl

Using a food processor, pulse bread into bread crumbs - Add to butter and toss

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of pasta

Bake for 25 minutes

Broccoli Cheddar Bake

Ingredients

10 oz can of cheddar cheese soup

1/2 cup milk

4 cups cooked broccoli (chopped)

2.8 oz can French's fried onions

Directions

In a casserole dish, mix soup, milk, broccoli and 1/2 can of onions

Bake for 25 minutes at 250 degrees

Sprinkle the remaining onions on top and bake for 5 more minutes

BLT Frittata

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 pound of sliced pancetta (chopped)

4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

3 cups of fresh spinach

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes (drained)

12 eggs

1/3 cup half-n-half

1 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil, pancetta and garlic

When pancetta begins to brown at the edges, add the spinach

Wilt the spinach and stir in the tomatoes

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the half-n-half and salt and pepper

Pour eggs into the skillet and let sit

Use a spatula to raise the eggs off the bottom of the skillet

Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook 10-12 minutes until the top is golden brown

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes

Baked Ziti Casserole

Ingredients

1 package (15 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 box (16 oz) ziti, cooked

1 jar (28 oz) of favorite sauce 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese

In 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spoon 1/2 pasta and top with cheese mixture

Add remaining pasta and top with mozzarella cheese

Bake for 30 minutes

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Cut into strips

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup

4 flour tortillas - Rolled and sliced into strips 

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet and brown the chicken

Add cans to the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and arrange 1/2 tortilla strips

Spoon the chicken mixture onto the tortillas

Top with remaining tortilla strips and top with the cheese

Bake for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

Ingredients

1 loaf (8 oz) French bread - Cut into 10-16 slices

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

8 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 Granny Smith apples - Peeled and cut into rings

2 tbsp butter

Maple-flavored syrup

Directions

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish

Arrange slices of bread in a single layer in the dish

In a bowl, mix eggs, 3 tbsp sugar, vanilla, and salt - Pour over bread

Place 1/2 apples over the mixture

Combine remaining 5 tbsp sugar and the cinnamon - Sprinkle 1/2 on top of apples

Repeat the layers

Cover and refrigerate overnight

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Cut butter into small pieces and arrange over apples

Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes

Serve with syrup