With just four main ingredients, this dish is great for busy mornings, lunch or even dinner. The best part is you assemble it the night before and just pop it into the oven the next day.

The recipe calls for sausage but you can use whatever meat you want. You can also add veggies and swap out the white bread for a multi-grain for a healthier version. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time if adding more ingredients.

For quick cleanup, use a disposable aluminum baking dish like we have.

Ingredients

8 slices of white bread, cubed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
32 oz. Egg Beaters (or 10 eggs & 2 ½ cups milk)
1 package breakfast sausage, cooked
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Cook sausage per package instructions, crumble into bite-size pieces.

Spray a 13 x 9 in. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Cube bread slices. We’ve used white bread here, but you can use French, wheat, multi-grain or whatever your favorite bread might be. We’ve even made this dish using hot dog and hamburger buns left over from a cookout.

Next, add the cheese, ensuring it is spread evenly.

Pour Egg Beaters evenly to ensure all areas are wet.

Add cooked sausage crumbles to the top & sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. butter cut into 10 equal parts
1/2 c. chopped pecans, divided into 10 parts
4 tbsp. brown sugar, divided into 10 equal parts
1 10-pack refrigerated biscuits

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Using a 10-muffin muffin tin, drop one dollop of butter in each muffin hole.  Next sprinkle one portion of pecans & one portion of brown sugar over butter. Top with one biscuit.

Bake 9 minutes or until golden brown.

Place a large platter or cookie sheet on top of the muffin tin. Carefully flip the tin over. If necessary, tap the bottom of the muffin tin to release the sticky buns.

Serve immediately.

NOTE: This makes 10 sticky buns. Cut this recipe in half and buy a smaller package of refrigerated biscuits to make a smaller batch.

Pecan Apple-Praline bread is a great way to use up extra apples you’ve harvested or that are starting to go bad. Its moist, slightly heavy texture makes it perfect for a dessert or breakfast treat.

This recipe starts with sour cream and has no butter or oil in the batter. Where normal ‘bread’ is done in a loaf, we’ve put this in a, 8×8 baking dish. We also poke holes in it to let the glaze soak in.

Ingredients

Batter

1 ½ cups chopped pecans, divided
8-oz sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

Glaze

½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small oven-safe pan, toast half of the pecans for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Stir in the flour.

Next add the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Finally, add the chopped apples and toasted pecans. Blend well.

Spray an 8×8 baking pan or your favorite bread pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Press remaining pecans into the top of the batter.

At 350 degrees, bake for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow bread to cool for about 15 minutes.

Using a straw, poke a few holes in the top of the bread. This will allow the glaze to soak in.

While bread is cooling, it’s time to make the glaze.

In a small pan over medium heat, add the brown sugar and butter.

Bring it to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and pour over the top of the bread, ensuring all areas are covered.

Allow bread to cool completely, approximately 45 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Tips:

Although this is a delicious recipe as is, there are several ways to spruce it up. If you enjoy foods with a more flavorful punch, try adding a teaspoon of apple pie spice to the batter or sprinkle the glaze with cinnamon.

For a heartier glaze, add up to 2 cups of caramel squares to the brown sugar and butter as it heats. Alternately, buy pre-softened caramel typically used for fruit dips, heat in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle over the bread after you’ve added the glaze.

To turn this into caramel apple praline bread, just increase the chopped apple to 2 cups and mix a small package of caramel chips (located next to the chocolate chips in the grocery store) into the batter before cooking.

This bread makes a great holiday gift and it freezes well for up to 3 months. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap or freezer paper, then in aluminum foil. Remove from freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature.

What is better on a weekend morning than a warm plate of French toast? French toast with caramelized bananas of course!

Made with eggs, milk and bread, French toast is one of the most inexpensive and easiest breakfast treats you can make. It’s a great way to use up bread that has gone stale and if you have more than you need, simply refrigerate it for up to two days and microwave when ready to eat.

You can top French toast with anything you like from cheese or peanut butter to sweet syrups or fruit. Just about anything your taste buds desire will be great on this dish.

Slice into strips and serve with a side of fruit for a great afternoon snack for kids.

Ingredients

6 lg. eggs
1 c. whole milk
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lg. orange
½ tsp. nutmeg
6 slices Oat Bread (or other heavy bread)
Canola Oil
3 firm bananas
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. packed brown sugar
½ c. fresh orange juice (or more)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a baking sheet available to hold the cooked toast and keep it warm.

Place a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat and add a tsp. of oil.

While the skillet is heating up, scrape the zest from the orange into a large shallow bowl.

Break the eggs into the same bowl and add milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla. Whisk together.

Cut the bread in half and place as many pieces as your skillet will hold in the egg mixture.

Let the bread soak about 30 seconds – 1 minute on each side.

Fresh bread soaks up more than stale bread so be careful you don’t soak it too long or it will fall apart when you transfer it to the frying pan.

Transfer the bread from the eggs and cook until golden brown on both sides. Place cooked toast on the baking sheet and store in a warm oven to keep warm.

Peel and slice the bananas.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the bananas and cook gently until they begin to brown. Stir in the brown sugar and continue stirring until the sugar melts.

Add the orange juice and cook until the liquid becomes like syrup. If it gets too thick, add a little more orange juice.

Place toast on a plate and spoon on some of the caramelized bananas. Serve with bacon, sausage or ham and even a side of hash browns if you wish.

Add slices of the orange used for zest to garnish the dish.

Tips:

This may look like a complicated breakfast dish but it’s really simple. If your family doesn’t like bananas, you can easily substitute apples or pears or prepare two toppings and let them choose.

For a contrast in flavor, try spicy sausage when serving with this sweet syrup.

Ingredients:

1 package of pork sausage
8 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices of cinnamon raisin bread
4 eggs
butter
Directions:

Form 4 large sausage patties. Fry slowly until done and drain on a paper towel. Break the eggs in the same skillet. Make sure the yolks are broken and cook until firm, turning once. Set aside with the sausage.

Butter one side of each of the bread slices. Place bread, butter side down, on a hot griddle. In this order, build your sandwich: cheese, sausage patty, egg, cheese, and the second slice of bread, butter side up. When bottom slice of cheese melts, flip  and cook the other side until cheese melts.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Note: Grape jelly is good added to the sandwich!

Ingredients:

1 package of sausage

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

9 eggs, beaten

2 cans of refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble and brown the entire package of sausage and pour off any fat. Coat a 9” x 13” baking dish with a non-stick spray and line it with one package of the crescent rolls. Put the cooked sausage on top of the rolls and top with the cheese. Pour in the eggs and top with the second package of crescent rolls. Bake 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Serve warm with a buttery maple syrup.