STRATA - BACON, CHEESE AND TOMATO

HEALTHIFIED BACON, CHEESE AND TOMATO STRATA

Prep Time 15 min

 

Total Time 3 hr 15 min

 

Servings 12

Ingredients

7 

cups lightly packed 1-inch cubes French bread (8 oz)

2 

cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

2 

cups chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes (6 medium)

6 

eggs or 1 1/2 cups fat-free egg product

1 1/2 

cups fat-free (skim) milk

1 

teaspoon Dijon mustard (just did normal mustard)

1 

teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 

teaspoon salt

6 

slices bacon

Directions

• Step1Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread bread in baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese; mix lightly with bread. Sprinkle with tomatoes.
• Step2In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, basil and salt with fork or wire whisk; pour over bread mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Step3Heat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp; drain on paper towel.
• Step4Crumble bacon. Sprinkle bacon and remaining 1/2 cup cheese over strata. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MILE-HIGH PUMPKIN-PECAN PIE

MILE HIGH PUMPKIN PECAN PIE
http://www.marthastewart.com/945566/mile-high-pumpkin-pecan-pie

Yum!  Didn't all fit in a traditional 9" pie.  Next time do bigger or do what recipe says and use a springfoam pan :-)  I just used a pre-made crust.  I or do what I did again - put extra in a 9x9 with no crust and cooked it.  Or could make little pies in muffin tins too.

• For The Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

• For The Filling

  • 1 1/4 cups light-brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 can (29 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 cups pecan halves

Directions

1. Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add 1/4 cup ice water in a steady stream, pulsing until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough just over 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, adjusting dough as needed to fit flat against bottom and sides. Trim dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch overhang (reserve scraps); freeze 15 minutes. Line dough with a double layer of parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet 30 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights; use reserved scraps to patch any holes in crust. Bake until deep golden, 30 minutes; cover edge with foil if overbrowning.
3. Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs, then pumpkin, until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, cream, and vanilla. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. With edge covered with foil, pour all but 1 cup filling into crust, return to oven, and carefully add remaining cup filling; bake 1 hour. Remove pie from oven and top with pecans. Bake until filling is just set but slightly wobbly in center, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours. With a serrated knife, cut off overhang and unmold.

PUMPKIN-BANANA BREAD

http://nancycreative.com/2011/09/29/pumpkin-banana-bread-with-pumpkin-glaze/

I added a pumpkin glaze and chopped walnuts on top, and the glaze adds a nice extra touch of pumpkiny sweetness to the bread. If you’re watching your sugar intake, the bread is good without the glaze, too, and you can add chopped nuts to the batter instead of sprinkling them on top. Remember to grease and flour your pans well when you make this, and the bread will come out really easily. This recipe makes two 9×5? loaves…you can eat one now, and freeze the other for later! 

The loaves were really full - could easily do some muffins too.

PUMPKIN-BANANA BREAD by NancyCreative (adapted from About.com)

4 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin from a 15-ounce can (you’ll use the remaining pumpkin for the Pumpkin Glaze)
1 1/2 cups (3 large) ripe, mashed bananas
1 1/3 cups (or 12 ounces) vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup canola oil (I used applesauce)
4 large eggs (I did 2 flax)
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional–I didn’t add nuts to my batter)
Pumpkin glaze (see recipe below)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (for sprinkling over glaze)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9×5? loaf pans and set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and allspice until combined; set aside.

In large bowl, mix pumpkin, mashed bananas, yogurt, oil, eggs, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the flour mixture–half of it at a time–and mix until ingredients are combined. Fold in walnuts or pecans (optional).

Divide batter between the two prepared loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pans, then remove from pans and cool completely before adding glaze.

PUMPKIN GLAZE

2 Tablespoons whipping cream
1-2 cups powdered sugar (start with one cup and add more if you want a thicker glaze–I just used one cup, but think I’ll add a little more next time)
Remaining pumpkin from your 15-ounce can (which should be about 2 Tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
In small bowl, whisk whipping cream and powdered sugar together until well-blended. Add pumpkin (and cinnamon, if desired) and blend until smooth. If your mixture has any lumps, just put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, and then mix again, and it will be nice and smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled loaves with a spoon, and let glaze set before slicing.

PUMPKIN-ZUCCHINI MUFFIN STUFFIN'

PUMPKIN-ZUCCHINI MUFFIN STUFFIN'
Food Network - Rachel Ray
I don't like the "normal" stuffing, but I love this stuff. It makes a lot. Keeps well for days in the fridge.

5 T butter - cut into pieces
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
6 ribs celery from the heart, chopped with greens
2-3 McIntosh apples, seeded and chopped (I have used different kinds of apples if I couldn't find McIntosh)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini
Salt and pepper
6 pumpkin muffins, crumbled
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 T poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups - 2 cups chicken stock

Heat a large deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat with butter. To melted butter add bay leaf, celery, apple, onion and zucchini. Season the vegetables liberally with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until softened. Add crumbled muffins and sunflower seeds to the pan and combine with the vegetables. Season the stuffing with poulty seasoning then adjust salt and pepper. Dampen the stuffing with stock. Pile the stuffing into a serving dish. Place in oven to crisp at 450 - or do the broiler for a couple of minutes.

WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN PANCAKES pinchmysalt.com
These are our favorite!

Whisk together in a bowl:
1 C. whole wheat flour (or 1 ½ cups and don’t add white)
1/2 C. cake flour or regular (if using cake flour - sift it)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (can add 2 tsp of pumpkin spice in place of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg)

Whisk together in a bowl:
1 C. buttermilk
1 C. canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. dark brown sugar

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend together with a wooden spoon until just combined. Lumps are ok, just make sure all the flour on the bottom of the bowl is mixed in. If batter seems too thick to pour, you can gently stir in a little more buttermilk. Drop pancakes by ladleful onto a medium-hot griddle. Pancakes are ready to turn when the edges start to look a little dry and you can see small bubbles forming on the surface.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES (from "Expect the Best" E.M. Ward)

Got this recipe from Head Start when Abagail was going there.  These do not have a strong pumpkin flavor.

2 cups plain yogurt (they use vanilla and omit the sugar) - I think I used plain
1/4 c plus 1 T sugar
1 2/3 cup flour (whole wheat works great)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 T margarine, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with 1/4 c sugar.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the 1 T sugar with flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In a medium bowl, combine the milk, margarine, egg, pumpkin and yogurt-sugar mixture, stirring well.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large bowl.  Stir until it is moist and free of lumps.

So good with buttermilk syrup, nutella or chocolate chips.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2010/10/pumpkin-pancakes.html

We liked them. She suggested trying them with buttermilk syrup - which is so so yummy, yummy!
UPDATE: I make this recipe all the time.  We all love it!

Pumpkin Pancakes

October 17, 2010

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice - try pumpkin spice or nutmeg instead of allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot

PARMESAN KNOTS

PARMESAN KNOTS
These were easy to make and good.  Abagail was a good little helped by rolling out the dough.  Recipe came from The Friend.

1 can biscuits
---
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt (used powder about 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley

Cut each biscuit into 3rds.  Roll each piece into a 3" rope and tie into a knot.

Place the knots 2" apart on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 400 for 8-10 min or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine rest of ingredients.  Brush or pour on the warm knots.  Makes approx. 2 1/2 dozen.

NACHO DIP

FAMOUS QUESO DIP

Combine 2 cans (10 oz. each) ROTEL (use mild) and 1 package (2 lbs) VELVEETA, cubed, in a microwaveable bowl.

Microwave on high 5 min or until completely melted, stirring after 3 min.