Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

I saw this recipe in my news feed last week posted by Cupcakes and Crinoline and I knew right away that I was going to bake it for Easter brunch!  It was the right choice and we all loved it.  It has made it’s way onto my permanent brunch list of recipes.

The cinnamon rolls that the recipe calls for were a bit hard to locate but I finally found them ~ they are different than the usual Pillsbury  cinnamon rolls we throw in a pan and bake.  These  are rolled up like homemade cinnamon rolls.

To get this delicious recipe, click on this link ~ Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole

I forgot to mention in my last post that the picture of my daughter was taken by my friend, Ann, who I think missed her calling as a photographer. She took some great pictures!

I also wanted to mention that my picture of Zippy seen here can also be seen on Touch of Home Petsitting Blog!  That picture always makes me laugh.

I found the recipe for this breakfast casserole on Pinterest and it’s from The Dishy Decorator and we loved it.  It’s really more like a cinnamon roll French toast.  It’ perfect by itself but adding bacon or sausage and fruit would round it out.  It also couldn’t be easier to make.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole

1 tbsps melted butter
2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (8 in a can)
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsps cinnamon
2 tsps vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup real maple syrup

Heat oven to 375º and pour melted butter into a 13×9 glass baking dish.

Separate rolls from the cans and cut each roll into 8 pieces and place in dish over melted butter.

In a small bowl, mix eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla until well blended and pour over the top of the rolls in the dish. Sprinkle with pecan pieces and drizzle with the 1/4 cup syrup. I did not use the pecans and I just eyeballed the syrup and it worked out fine.

Bake 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove metal tops from the icing and heat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds at 50% power or until the icing is pourable.

Drizzle over the top of the cooled rolls.

Happy Cooking!

My Very FIRST Giveaway!

This giveaway has ended but check out giveaways link up above to see if there are any current giveaways going on!

I’m so excited for my very first giveaway to be a Gooseberry Patch cookbook!  I have loved Gooseberry Patch for a long time and I think I have recipes in 12 or 13 of their cookbooks.  They are a wonderful company!  If you don’t have any of their cookbooks, you should.

This is the cookbook I will be giving away thanks to the generosity of Gooseberry Patch.  It’s a small book ~ about 6×6 ~ with 48 pages.  So many wonderful recipes are included along with tips on wrapping, thanks yous, etc.   Here is some more about the book from the Gooseberry Patch site ~ Recipes for Warming Hearts.

I made the chicken tetrazzini recipe and it was wonderful!  I used a cooked chicken from the store and included the optional mushrooms.  Super easy and both Mr. Meat Eater and myself said we would have it again.  It’s a great recipe to included  in this cookbook because it would be wonderful to bring to a friend or family member in need.  Add a salad and bread and you have a great meal that’s easy on the pocketbook.

Chicken Tetrazzini

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsps sherry or chicken broth (I used the sherry)
2 cups milk or whipping cream (I used milk)
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
optional: 4 ounce can of sliced mushrooms (I used a larger sized can since we love mushrooms)

Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour, salt and pepper; cook until bubbly. Add broth, sherry or chicken broth, chicken broth and milk or cream; bring to boil for one minute ~ making sure to whisk continuously.

Stir in spaghetti, chicken, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and mushrooms, if using; mix well. Spread in a lightly greased 13×9 baking pan and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 30 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

GIVEAWAY PARTICULARS:

I’ll be running this giveaway until midnight on September 28.  I will put all entries in a bowl and have Mr. Meat Eater or a friend pick the winner.  I will post the winner here and on my facebook page.  The winner will have to contact me within 3 days with name and address and I will send out the book by priority mail.  If I don’t hear from the winner within 3 days, I will pull a new winner.

For one chance to win ~ please comment with your favorite dish to bring a friend or family member in need.

For a second chance to win ~ like A Recipe A Day on Facebook (if you already do, just say that) A Recipe A Day. Comment here that you have.

For a third chance to win ~ like Gooseberry Patch on Facebook (if you already do, just say that) Gooseberry Patch. Comment here that you have.

All entries must be here NOT on my Facebook page.

If you have any questions, drop me a line at a_recipe_a_day at yahoo dot com.

I’ll be sharing another recipe from this book in the coming days!

Happy Cooking!

Brown Rice Casserole

A fabulous recipe I found on Allrecipes!  I served it with salsa chicken (recipe will be coming) so I left out the chicken the recipe calls for but I did put in the leftover salsa chicken and reheated the next day and it was great.  I imagine the casserole with the chicken added would be a great one-dish meal.

Brown Rice Casserole

1/3 cup brown rice
1 cup water, chicken broth, vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 cooked boneless chicken breasts, chopped, (optional)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilie peppers, drained ~ use fire roasted if you can find them
1/3 cup shredded carrots
2 cups shredded taco or Mexican cheese

Cook rice using the water or broth according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350º and grease a casserole dish.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute onion until tender and translucent. Mix in the zucchini, chicken (if using), and mushrooms. Season with the cumin, salt and cayenne. Saute until chicken in heated through and zucchini is browned.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cooked rice, mixture in skillet, beans, chilis, carrots, and 1/2 of the cheese. Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly around the edges.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Cauliflower Casserole

I love veggies and cauliflower is one of my favorites.  I don’t think many people like it because of the smell but it doesn’t bother me.  I’ll eat it cooked or raw ~ doesn’t matter.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes and tweaked it just a bit to make it less fattening.  I wouldn’t call it low fat but it’s yummy and lower in fat than it was.  Feel free to change it up to make it your own ~ which I hope everyone is doing to all of the recipes here 🙂

Cauliflower Casserole

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, store bought or make your own
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, leave off if you don’t want the heat

Preheat oven to 350º.

Steam cauliflower for about 10 minutes, drain, and put into a casserole dish.

In a small bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together and sprinkle over the cauliflower in the casserole dish.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Pesto Casserole

When I was looking over the Land O’Lakes website a couple of weeks ago, I found this gem of a recipe.  I just happened to have some pesto  in the fridge that needed to be used up so I decided to give this recipe a try.  Easy and delicious ~ my two favorite things!

I cooked up the chicken just for this but it would be a great way to use up leftovers.

Vote for my recipe on Food Talk Daily by clicking here!

Chicken Pesto Casserole ~ Land O’Lakes

1 (12 oz) pkg rotini ~ I used the multi-colored kind
3 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 cup milk
1/4 cup purchased pesto
1 (16 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1 (7 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsps butter, melted

Heat oven to 350º. Cook pasta according to pkg directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the chicken, milk, pesto, Alfredo sauce, red peppers and pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir in the cooked pasta and spread mixture into a greased 3-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.

Combine breadcrumbs, Parm cheese, and butter in a small bowl and sprinkle over casserole. Continue baking uncovered until edges are bubbly and topping is golden brown. ~ about 15 minutes or so.

Makes 8 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Mary’s Cranberry Apple Casserole

This is fabulous!  Mr. Meat Eater and I were practically fighting over it.  It’s a very easy dessert to make and, frankly, I wouldn’t be above eating it for breakfast.  It’s certainly perfect for the upcoming holidays.

Thank you, Mary, for sharing this recipe with me ~ it’s going to be a favorite in our house!

Mary’s Cranberry Apple Casserole

Filling:
2 cups fresh whole cranberries
3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped apples (I just sliced mine because I am lazy)
1 cup sugar (I used about 3/4 cup since my apples were very sweet)
1 tbsp. flour

Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup uncooked oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Heat oven to 350º.

Mix the filling ingredients and pour into a 8×8 or 9×9 square, greased casserole dish.

Combine the topping ingredients and spoon over the filling.

Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are tender.

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes about 6 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Not Your Mother’s Green Bean Casserole

Or, rather, MOSTLY not your mother’s green bean casserole.  Paula Deen has taken one of our Thanksgiving must-haves and really turned it into a scrumptious casserole.  Even Mr. Meat Eater took seconds (that’s what I should have had a picture of).  I could have just eaten it and nothing else it was that good.

It’s very easy to make although a bit more time-consuming than the old Campbell’s Soup version.  It’s really delicious so give it a try!

Paula Deen’s Green Bean Casserole

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced fresh green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8 oz) can French-fried onion rings
pinch of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350º.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Boil the green beans in the broth for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms.

Drain the green beans and add to the mushroom and onions mixture. Add the mushroom soup, onion rings, and seasonings to this mixture as well. Stir until well combined and pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings.

Happy Cooking!

More Potatoes ~ Cheesy Au Gratin Potato Casserole

I have a serious addiction to potatoes.  I love them in any form and we have potatoes fairly often.  DH is not a fan but humors me.  I found this recipe on allrecipes and changed it around a bit to suit me and it’s delish!

This recipe is pretty easy even though you will have to make a cheese sauce.  Just take your time and it will work.  I especially love that it makes a small casserole so if you are a small family, it will work perfectly.

Cheesy Au Gratin Potato Casserole

4 russet potatoes, sliced into very thin slices
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsps butter
3 tbsps flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400º and grease a 1 quart casserole dish. I used a 9×9 glass dish.

Layer half the potato slices in the bottom of the dish, top with all the onion slices, top onions with the rest of the potatoes and season with salt and pepper if desired.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt and whisk continuously for 1 minute. Stir in milk and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Stir in the cheese ALL AT ONCE and stir until the cheese melts, about 60 seconds or so. Pour sauce over the potatoes. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Portobello Bake

Mushrooms are one of my very favorite foods and I will eat them just about any way.  This recipe is easy and, of course, I tweaked it some from the original.  I found it on food.com posted by Dreamer in Ontario.

In the picture, I have sliced them into strips and I really think it looks like meat on my plate.  I served it with quinoa salad .

Portobello Bake

1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
6 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean and gills removed if desired
1 small onion, diced

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a food processor, grind almonds until powdered. Add the oil, soy sauce, water, vinegar, garlic, oregano and process until well blended. I used my mini chopper with no problems.

Place mushrooms in a baking pan upside down (stem side up) in one layer. Sprinkle the onions over the mushrooms and pour the sauce over the top.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.

To serve, slice into slices ~ one mushroom per person.

Makes 6 servings.

Happy Cooking!