APPLES & BACON

From Claude Y Jenet

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

Four Red Delicious Apples

Bacon 16oz pack (Cheap, fatty Bacon is best for this dish)

Freshly baked bread

Butter

Core the apples (Do not peel them) and cut them horizontally into thin slices.

Cut the bacon in small pieces (about 2 in).

Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with bacons pieces. Cook over medium heat, turning the bacon pieces over until they are crisp and they render all their fat.

Put the cooked bacon pieces on a paper towel and put 2 or 3 slices of apple in the pan. Add fresh bacon around them.

Turn the apples over after a minute or two and continue cooking until they are soft and golden.

Serve immediately with some of the cooked bacon and slices of bread/butter.

Repeat the process.

Apple Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/3 cup milk

3/4 cup grated apple

Beat baking mix, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla egg and milk with rotary beater until smooth. Fold in apple. Pour batter from 1/4 cup measuring cup onto hot greased griddle. Bake until bubbles appear. Turn and bake other side until golden brown.

Puffy Apple Pancake

Apple Mixture

6 apples peeled and cored and cut into wedges

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

2 Tbsp water

Pancake Mixture

3 eggs

¾ cup milk

¾ cup flour

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

Cook apple mixture in a skillet over medium heat until apples are caramelized.  Blend pancake mixture until smooth.  Place apples in a greased pan.  Pour pancake mixture over and bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Serve warm.

Breakfast Apple Pie

1 egg beaten

4 Tbsp oil

1 cup milk

1 ½ cup Bisquick

½ cup sugar

½ cup nuts

2 apples cut into wedges

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp butter

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

Beat egg with milk, add Bisquick, sugar and nuts and combine.  Pour into greased 9 inch pie pan.  Arrange apples wedges on top.  Sprinkle apples with sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and dot with butter.  Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Serve warm.

Baked Dutch Apple Pancakes

2 cans apple pie filling

2 Tbsp butter room temperature

1tsp cinnamon

3 eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup flour

1 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp salt

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 10 pie pan, microwave apple pie filling, butter and cinnamon until warm.  In a bowl beat eggs until frothy, add milk, flour, sour cream, lemon zest and salt.  Beat just until batter is smooth.  Pour over the top of hot apple mixture and immediately put the pan in the oven.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until pancake is puffed and brown.  Using a fine sieve, lightly dust the top with confectioners’ sugar.  Serve warm.

Banana Stuffed French Toast

1 firm, ripe banana

1/2 C half-and-half

1/4 C milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

four thick slices day-old bread

2 T butter

(Serves 2 )

Cut banana into slices, set aside.

Whisk together remaining ingredients, except for bread, of course.

Cut a pocket in each bread slice by almost cutting each slice in half, but leaving one edge intact. Arrange a layer of banana slices inside the bread pocket. In baking dish, arrange bread pockets in a single layer and pour egg mixture over them. Soak for 15 minutes, turning over once or twice.

In a 12-inch skillet melt butter over low heat and cook stuffed bread until golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Breakfast Burrito

4 Flour Tortillas

4 Eggs

½ lb. Sausage or Bacon or Ham

1 large Potato - cooked cubed

½ cup Chopped onions

Salsa  

Grated Cheese

Cook ground sausage, bacon or Ham in pan.  Drain and set aside.  Spray pan with Pam and add potatoes and onions, cook until brown.   Warm tortillas in another pan.  Scramble eggs over potatoes.  Divide all ingredients evenly among the four tortillas.   Season to taste with salsa, salt and pepper.  Top with a handful of grated cheese.  Fold tortillas and serve immediately.

Cheese Blintzes

Makes 12 Crêpes, or 6 Servings

Crêpe Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup whole or low-fat milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

melted unsalted butter for greasing and drizzling

Cheese Filling:

2 cups cottage cheese

3 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the crêpe batter, sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Combine the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl and stir until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until blended into a relatively smooth batter. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. (The batter may be prepared to this point and stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.)

Heat a crêpe pan or small skillet over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the crêpe pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Cook (reducing the heat if necessary) until the first side is set and has a little color, about 2 minutes. Use a thin metal or heatproof rubber spatula to loosen the crêpe, and turn it over. Cook on the other side until set and very lightly colored (the crêpe will not be as dark on the second side as on the first), 1 minute more. Stack the crêpes between layers of parchment or waxed paper as you cook.

To make the cheese filling, purée the cottage cheese and cream cheese in a blender until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract by hand. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to finish the crêpes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a medium baking dish with melted butter. Spoon or pipe about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling onto each crêpe. Fold each crêpe into quarters, or fold the sides in to the center, then roll each crêpe up. Place the crêpes seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter and bake until very hot, 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately, 2 crêpes per serving, with warm blueberry coulis.

Blueberry Coulis:

Makes 2 cups

1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries (3 ½ cups)

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Hash Brown Potato Casserole

Cracker Barrel’s Recipe

Serves 12

1 32 oz pkg. shredded frozen potatoes

1/2 cup melted butter

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

12 oz grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. salt

1-8 oz carton sour cream

4 green onion, chopped

2 cups crushed corn flakes

1/2 cup melted butter

Place thawed potatoes in 9x13d baking dish. Mix together next 6 ingredients  and pour over potatoes. Top with crushed cornflakes and drizzle melted butter over all. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serves a crowd and tastes like baked potatoes topped with cheese and sour cream.

Hash Brown Casserole

1 can condensed cream of celery or chicken soup

6 oz. Colby Cheese grated

1/2 cup sour cream

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

5 1/2 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

Mix soup, sour cream, onion, cheese, salt, and pepper; stir in potatoes. Pour into an ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Serves 6.

French Custard Toast

6 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound loaf French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices

Makes 8 Servings

1. With a wire whisk, slightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, sugar and other dry ingredients. Beat until it's a smooth, thin batter. Gradually beat in milk and vanilla.

2. Pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

3. Dip one side of each slice into the batter; turn the slices over and place them in a single layer in the batter. Push the slices together to make them fit. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

4. About 30 minutes before ready to cook, turn the slices over to soak the other side

5. Heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Melt a small amount of butter or margarine in the pan and add as many bread slices as will fit.

6. Pour any of the extra batter over the tops of the slices.

7. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until the slices are golden.

Puffy French Toast Casserole

Makes: 12 servings

1 loaf (8 oz.) French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups) 

1-1/2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, cubed 

8 eggs 

2 cups milk 

1/2 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup 

1/2 cup Pecan Pieces 

PLACE bread cubes in greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top evenly with the cream cheese. 

BEAT eggs, milk and syrup with wire whisk until well blended. Pour over ingredients in baking dish; cover. Refrigerate overnight. 

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Bake, uncovered, 35 min.; sprinkle with the pecans. Bake an additional 10 min. or until center is set. Serve with additional syrup, if desired. 

This is a great breakfast-time casserole when you have family or friends visiting from out of town. It goes together quickly the night before so that you can spend more time with your guests!

Stuffed French Toast

Makes: 2 servings

2 eggs 

2 Tbsp. milk 

2 tsp. sugar 

4 slices cinnamon raisin bread 

4 Tbsp. Cream Cheese Spread 

8 slices Shaved Honey Ham - optional

2 Tbsp. maple-flavored or pancake syrup 

Variations: 

          Add Orange Marmalade to cream cheese

          Add Apple Slices and cinnamon to cream cheese

          Add Blueberries to cream cheese

BEAT eggs, milk and sugar with fork in 9-inch pie plate or 8-inch square baking dish until well blended.

SPREAD one side of each bread slice with 1 Tbsp. of the cream cheese spread. Top 2 of the bread slices, spread-sides up, with 4 ham slices each. Cover with remaining bread slices, spread-sides down. Lightly press edges of each sandwich together to seal. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture until well soaked.