Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Yum, yum, yum!  And you can make the batter ahead of time...see below.  I originally found this recipe on Pinterest which led me HERE.  I followed the recipe pretty closely with a few minor changes.  I didn't have a lemon so I left that out and I also didn't have kosher salt so just used plain table salt.  And thank goodness she broke down 7/8 of a cup...because I would have guesstimated otherwise (it was late and I was tired)!

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Ingredients:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar (the 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top)
1 egg at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (you can also use fresh cranberries for a holiday spin...just increase the sugar a bit to offset tartness)
½ cup buttermilk

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

1. Cream butter with 7/8 cup of the sugar until well blended.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour.  Mix together the remaining flour (1 and 3/4 cup), baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a baking pan (I used an 8 x 11) with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan.

At this point, I covered the pan with cling wrap and shoved it in the refrigerator until the next day (24 hours later!).  So you can make this ahead of time.  It turned out just fine for me.  If you are worried about your cold, refrigerated dish shattering...either let it get to room temp before shoving it in the oven or put it in while oven is cold and let them warm up together (that's what I did) or keep the batter in a tupperware container and transfer it to a baking dish the next day. 

5. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes if baking immediately or about 45-60 minutes if it's still cold from the refrigerator.

6. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Also yummy served with Cheesy Ham Pie for dinner!

Breakfast Sausage and Egg Casserole

Baking dish - medium Pyrex

- Cook about half a pound of sausage (or more) in a frying pan, set aside

- Use 5 - 7 slices of white bread, the crust removed, place in the dish

- Add a layer of cheese ( I prefer sharp cheddar) on top

- Add the sausage in a layer

- Add a mixture of six eggs and a cup of milk

- Lightly salt and pepper

- Add another layer of cheese

- Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, take it out 20 minutes before baking

- Bake uncovered at 350 for 50 minutes

I have also used cooked ham on one half and sausage on the other.

Pumpkin Bread

This is from my friend Amy. Her recipe is awesome!

Also, this recipe makes a LOT - 24 big muffins or 4 loaves in 7-1/2x3-1/2 inch pans. It's great to stock up the freezer.

1 cup softened butter
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Combine dry ingredients. Add alternately with pumpkin to the creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla, raisins and pecans. Pour into lined muffin tins or greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees (about 25 minutes for muffins, about 45 minutes for breads).

Baked French Toast

4 English muffins

Mixture:
3 eggs
3 tbsp melted butter
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup half and half or whole milk

Topping:
Raspberries
Kiwi
Bananas
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice

Fruit Dip:
8 oz cream cheese
Small container of marshmallow fluff
1 tbsp vanilla syrup – different than vanilla extract
Red food coloring optional to make dip pink

Spray pie dish with non-stick spray. Cut up 4 English muffins into small squares. Put in pie dish. Mix other ingredients together in a separate bowl with a whisk. Pour over the English muffins and be sure that the muffin pieces are coated with the mixture. Push down into mixture to fully coat if necessary. Sprinkle top with nutmeg. At this point you can cover and put in fridge until next morning or put into oven immediately. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Let sit 10-15 minutes. Mix topping ingredients together. Whip fruit dip ingredients in mixer. Top slice of baked French toast with the topping mixture and a dab of fruit dip or just use maple syrup.

I must confess that I've never made the topping or fruit dip, but the baked french toast is YUMMY with just syrup and powdered sugar. And it's great for when you have overnight guests since you can make it the night before.

Thanks Jill!!

Potato Casserole

2 lbs. frozen hashbrowns
¾ cup melted margarine or butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
2 cups bread crumbs

Defrost potatoes. In large bowl, combine the potatoes, ½ cup melted margarine, salt, pepper, onions, soup, sour cream, and cheese. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Mix bread crumbs with 3 tbsp. melted butter. Sprinkle over mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for one hour.

Thanks Julie!!!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Squares

Sinful, but DELICIOUS!

2 – 8 oz. crescent rolls
2 – 8 oz. cream cheese
1 ½ cups sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon

Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and place in a slightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Seal seams and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over dough. Unroll remaining crescent rolls and place over cream cheese mixture, stretching to cover. Brush melted butter evenly over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and remaining sugar. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into squares.

Apple Pancake

2 large cooking apples (I used Golden Delicious)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sugar
Pancake batter (for 12-16 pancakes)

Heat the oven to 375. In a 9-10” skillet, sauté apples in butter over medium heat until tender. Remove skillet from heat and sprinkle with nuts. Pour pancake batter over apples and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake 15 minutes or until pancake is puffed and sugar is melted. If oven proof skillet is not available, bake in a 9-10” pie plate. Smother with syrup and enjoy!

This is an old favorite from a trip Andy & I took to Hocking Hills pre-marriage. We had this at the Bed and Breakfast.

Cheesy Ham Pie

This is a yummy quick recipe that can be for breakfast or dinner.

Mix:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 – 3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked chopped broccoli
2 eggs
1 cup chopped ham

Mix:
1 cup bisquick
¼ cup milk
2 eggs

Mix 6 top ingredients together. Mix bottom three ingredients together. Put 2/3 of bottom mixture in a greased pie pan. Put top mixture on top. Put rest of bottom mixture on top. 

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Take out and let stand 5 minutes.