Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients
FRENCH TOAST
1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
8 whole Eggs
2 cups Whole Milk
½ cups Whipping (heavy) Cream
¾ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Topping
½ cups All-purpose Flour
½ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
Fresh Fruit (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.
Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.
When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you’re using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/cinnamon-baked-french-toast/

Aunt Trish’s Salad Dressing

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time:
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients
¾ cups Olive Oil Or Canola Oil
Juice Of 2 Lemons
4 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ teaspoons Sugar
Dash Of Paprika
1 clove Garlic - Peeled And Left Whole
Preparation Instructions
Place all ingredients into a jar. Shake it up and store in the fridge at least 24 hours before serving.
Serve on your favorite green salads. Also works well on pasta salad.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/aunt-trishs-salad-dressing/

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Apricot Sauce

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2

Ingredients
2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Pounded To Even Out Thickness
Sliced Sourdough Or Other Crusty Bread
Apricot Preserves
Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard
Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
Baby Spinach
Red Onion, Sliced Thinly
Preparation Instructions
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and grill until cooked all the way through. Wrap in plastic wrap and efrigerate until needed.
Combine equal parts apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise. Add cayenne to taste. Refrigerate until needed.
To assemble, spread apricot sauce on two slices of bread. Add chicken breast, baby spinach, and red onion slices.
Serve cold or drizzle with olive oil and brown on a panini grill.
Serve with kettle-cooked potato chips.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/grilled-chicken-sandwich-with-apricot-sauce/

Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce

Prep Time: 2 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1-½ pound Pasta (angel Hair Or Thin Spaghetti)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole 28-ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
Dash Of Sugar
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste
¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
¾ cups Heavy Cream
4 cups Baby Spinach
Half-and-Half, for thinning
Extra Blue Cheese Crumbles, For Garnish
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for a minute. Pour in drained tomatoes. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in crumbled blue cheese. Add cream and stir, then a little splash of half-and-half if sauce is too thick. Cook for a minute or two, tasting and adding more seasonings as needed.
At the very, very, very last minute. toss in spinach. Immediately toss in the cooked and drained pasta. Serve immediately!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/pasta-with-tomato-blue-cheese-sauce/

Cinnamon Toast – The RIGHT Way

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15
Minutes Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8

Ingredients
16 slices Bread (whole Wheat Is Great!)
2 sticks Salted Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar (more To Taste)
3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract (more To Taste)
⅛ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Smush softened butter with a fork. Dump in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, if using. Stir to completely combine.
Spread on slices of bread, completely covering the surface all the way to the edges.
Place toast on a cookie sheet. Place cookies sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbling. Watch so it won’t burn!
Remove from oven and cut slices into halves diagonally.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/the-right-way-and-the-wrong-way-to-make-cinnamon-toast/

Peach Noodle Kugel

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients
16 ounces, weight Egg Noodles, Cooked For Half The Cooking Time
¼ cups Butter
Zest Of One Lemon
¾ cups Sugar
1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1-½ teaspoon Salt
4 whole Eggs Beaten
1-½ can (20 To 22 Ounces Total) Peach Halves, Chopped Into Large Chunks
2 cups Whole Milk
2 cups Corn Flakes, Slightly Crushed
¼ cups Butter, Melted
¼ cups Brown Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Cook and drain noodles. Add lemon zest and butter and toss to melt the butter.
Pour in sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Add beaten eggs, milk, and peaches. Stir to combine.
Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or sugar as needed. Pour noodles—including all the liquid—into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Place the corn flakes into a large Ziploc bag. Crush them slightly. Melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Pour this in with the corn flakes and toss to combine.
Sprinkle corn flakes over the top. Bake kugel for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve warm.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/peach-noodle-kugel/

Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients
1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon
Preparation Instructions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.
Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.
Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.
Serve cool.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/creamy-lemon-crumb-squares/