Holiday Cheer, 5 Weeks Until Christmas is Here!

A great way to start your day with company is with a breakfast casserole. Here are a couple of recipes that our family loves.



Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole

Recipe makes 1 9×13-inch casserole

• 10 slices white bread, cubed
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and place the bread cubes into the dish. In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract, salt, eggs, milk, evaporated milk, and pecans. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread cubes. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover and bake the casserole until the pumpkin mixture is set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the casserole comes out clean, about 45 minutes.



Syrup on the Bottom French Toast Casserole

• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (1 pound) loaf challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 1/2 cup whole milk, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour syrup into the prepared casserole dish.

Arrange bread slices atop the syrup layer in the casserole dish.

Whisk 2 1/2 cups milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl; pour milk mixture over bread. Cover casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap from casserole dish.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl; sprinkle mixture over casserole. Cover casserole with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until casserole is cooked through and eggs are set, 25 to 30 minutes. The casserole will be syrupy, but should thicken as it cools.