Bex's Baked Oatmeal

*Overnight Refrigeration Required*

Comfort breakfast at it's best!!!

1/2 C vegtable oil
3/4 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB baking powder
3 C oats
1/2 C raisins
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Beat oil and sugar.
2. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder, and oatmeal. Beat well.
3. Stir in raisins.
4. Pour into greased pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon (I usually use more than the recipe requires).
5. Refrigerate overnight.
6. Bake at 350 until firm, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy! Perfect for cold mornings!

Croque Madame

If you are looking for a healthy recipe, this is *not* it. Turn around and run far, far away! This is a very tasty sandwich that is excellent for breakfast, brunch or lunch! I love to make it with buttermilk bread for a little added sweetness. It's a Rachel Ray recipe and one of my all time favorite things to eat. This recipe makes 2 sandwiches, but can be easily altered for more :)

Ingredients:
6Tbs butter (3/4 stick)
1 rounded Tbs all-purpose flour
1C milk
salt and black pepper
1/8 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 slices white bread (buttermilk is the yummiest!)
4 slices ham--look for low moisture if available
4 slices swiss cheese (Emmentaler is excellent)
Chopped frest flat leaf parley, chives or thyme for garnish

Directions:
Place a small sauce pot over medium-low heat and melt 2 tablesppoons of the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. whisk in the milk and bring it to a bubble, then drop the heat to low. season the sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and the Dijon. *it's important to season this sauce to taste :)

When the bechamel sauce coats the back of a spoon, turn off the heat.

Heat 1 TBS (I never need this much, maybe a tsp if you're using nonstick. or cooking spray) of the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter melts, crack in the egs, keeping the whites separate from each other. If they touch, don't get upset, you can cut them apart when they are finished cooking. Cook eggs to desired done-ness (I like over-medium b/c the yolk mixing with the bechamel sauce is pretty amazing). While the eggs cook, generously butter the bread with the remaining butter. Keep the buttered sides facing out and build anm and cheese sandwhiches, spreading bechamel on the insides of the bread and using 2 slices of ham and cheese for each sandwich. heat a second skillet over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches until golden, then turn. Cook for a few minutes more and then transfer to plates and top with eggs and more sauce. Garnish with chopped herb of choice and serve with a fork and knife.

Christine's Stuffed French Toast

1/4 cup fat free cream cheese at room temp
8 slices of cinnamon raisin bread
2 cups of thinly sliced bananas
1/2 cup of fat free milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teasp vanilla extract
warmed syrup

1- Spread cream cheese evenly on one side of each slice of bread. Top each of 4 slices of the bread with 1/4 cup of bananas and a slice of the remaining bread.

2- Combine milk, eggs and vanilla in small shallow bowl and beat lightly with fork

3- Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over med heat. Briefly dip sandwiches one at a time into egg mixture. Place 2 sandwiches on the skillet and cook until golden brown 3-4 min each side. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve with warm syrup.

Parmesan Scramble from Nicole

8 large eggs, whisked
3-4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 in. strips
1/2 large onion
1-1.5 cups plain marinara sauce
block parmesan, shaved with veggie peeler

Sauce:
Cook bacon & onions together in skillet over medium to med-high heat until bacon crisps. Drain on a paper towel and return to pan. Add marinara sauce and stir. Keep on low heat until the eggs are ready.

Eggs:
Whisk well and pour into hot skillet. Scramble. Portion onto plates and cover with marinara. Garnish with curls of shaved parmesan cheese. Serve hot with toast, fruit, etc.

serves 2-4 people

Zucchini Yogurt Multigrain Muffins from Nicole

"I tried finding a recipe to get my picky toddler to eat her vegetables. Since I couldn't find a healthy one, I came up with this. Using one cup carrots and one cup zucchini is a nice way to get both the yellow and green veggies into the diet! Any type of nuts, raisins, etc. may be used in the recipe -- whatever is on hand and toddler approved."
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease 24 muffin cups.
2.In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the zucchini, carrots, pecans, and raisins. Scoop into the prepared muffin cups.
3.Bake 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
NOTE: If making MINI MUFFINS, bake 9-10 minutes at same temperature!

(Look here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Yogurt-Multigrain-Muffins/Detail.aspx in the review section to find alternate ideas for this recipe)

Denise's Sausage Strata

1.5 lbs breakfast sausage

1 med chopped onion

1 chopped bell pepper

 3 cloves garlic

3 well beaten eggs

1 c. sliced mushrooms

6 slices bread (cubed and crusts removed)

1 1/4 cups scalded milk

3/4 c half & half cream

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 c grated swiss cheese

1/2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

 

Cook sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic & mushrooms until browned.  Layer this in a greased rectangular casserole w/ the bread.  In a separate bow, combine the milk, cream, eggs, baking powder, slat & pepper.  Pour over sausage & bread.  Sprinkle cheese over this & let sit overnight in refrigerator.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or less (until cake tester comes out clean). 

Cinnamon Sticky Buns from Denise

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c corn syrup

1/2 c butter

1 c coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c ground cinnamon

2 tubes (17.3 oz each) large refrigerated biscuits

 

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter.  Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Add the pecans.  Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 pan. 

 

In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Cut each biscuit in half; dip in cinnamon-sugar.  Place cut side down over brown sugar mixture.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins or until golden brown.  Invert onto serving plate; serve warm. 

 

Mika's Monkey Bread

4 tubes refrigerator biscuits

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick margarine

1 tsp vanilla

Cut biscuits into fourths. Mix together 2/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Roll each piece of biscuit in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place around bundt pan. Combine remaining sugar, cinnamon, margarine and vanilla. Boil. Pour over biscuits. Bake for 40 min at 350. Turn immediately onto plate and serve warm.

Can be wrapped in foil and reheated.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread from Christine

Ingredients
3 cans (7.5 oz. each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

Directions
1- HEAT oven to 350°F.
2- CUT each biscuit into quarters.
3- MIX granulated sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add dough quarters, in batches; toss to coat.
4-PLACE 1/2 the biscuit pieces in greased 12-cup fluted tube pan; drizzle with 1/2 the butter. Repeat. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon-sugar. Bake 40 to 45 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan 5 min.; invert onto serving plate. Remove pan.
5-BEAT cream cheese and powdered sugar in small bowl with mixer until well blended. Add 1 Tbsp. milk; beat until well blended. Blend in enough of the remaining milk until glaze is of desired consistency. Drizzle over warm bread.