So far I’ve shared my fave appetizer and drink recipes and my fave bread, soup, salad and side dish recipes from our church’s 2010 progressive dinner and bake-off. Today I bring you my fave main dish recipes. These are all pretty decadent except for the granola, but I don’t hold that against the granola—it’s pretty dang good!
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Apple Toffee French Toast with Apple Syrup
French Toast
8 cups French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tart apples, peeled and chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tsp vanilla divided
1/2 cup English toffee bits
5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Apple Syrup
1 C. sugar
2 T. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
2 C. apple juice
2 T. lemon juice
5 T. butter
French toast:
Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan; top with apples. In large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars, apple juice and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth; stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples. Top with remaining bread cubes.
In another bowl, beat the eggs, milk and 1 tsp vanilla until well blended; pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. While the French toast is baking, prepare the syrup.
Apple syrup:
In a medium-size sauce pan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple juice and lemon juice and heat to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute then stir in butter. Serve over warm Apple Toffee French Toast. Makes 8 servings.
For real decadence, dollop a spoonful of whipped cream on top.
Best Ever Chicken Salad for Crescent Rolls
2 cups cubed chicken breast (about 3 breasts)
1 to 2 cups diced celery
1 cup mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
1/8 cup. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt*
1/2 tsp Accent or Bon Appétit
1 cup cashews
1 cup red grapes (cut in half if large)
Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the cashews and grapes. Let stand in fridge overnight. Add the cashews and grapes not more than several hours before serving as they will absorb the moisture and get soggy.
*You might want to use 3/4 teaspoon salt because it weakens when it sits overnight.
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Butterfield Chicken
6-8 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 lbs fresh sliced mushrooms
3 cups whipping cream
2 cups fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Minced fresh parsley
2 lemons
Salt and pepper
Pound chicken until even. Dip each breast in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off excess. Melt butter in large skillet and sauté each piece 1 to 2 minutes on each side. (I cook it a little longer, until browned on both sides.) Squeeze 4 to 5 drops of lemon juice on each side of chicken while it is cooking. Transfer chicken to 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour cream over chicken. Sauté mushrooms and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and minced parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
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Deer Valley Granola
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans, optional
1/2 cup brown sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix the rolled oats, milk powder, sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and coconut in a large bowl (pecans also if using). Measure the oil in a 1-cup measure. Swish it to coat up to the 3/4-cup mark, then add the honey to the mark. Add brown sugar. Add vanilla. Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and mix everything together using your hands. Spread onto a large baking sheet, about 1/2-inch deep.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after 15 minutes so the granola in the middle of the pan will brown evenly with the edges. Cool and store in an airtight container. Makes approximately 16 servings. NOTE: You’ll want to double the recipe.
Image by ralph and jenny, shared via Flickr.
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What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child? ~ Lin Yutang
Susie's Homemade
Those are AWESOME recipes to share:-)
Emily
That Butterfield Chicken is to die for!
Kristina P.
I am obsessed with chicken salad. My coworkers and I are always on a mission to find the best chicken salad. Apple Junction has awesome chicken salad. And that recipe sounds perfect.
Emily
I think you will really like this one. I am planning on making it for an upcoming baby shower. I might have to double the recipe so some of it makes it there!
Barbie
That looks delicious! I’m so hungry…would someone please bring me that chicken salad crescent STAT! And while you are here feel free to do a load or two of laundry and mop the floors. Thanks!
Barbie
I’m bookmarking this post for sure. Everything sounds so yummy. I going to make the butter filled chicken on Tuesday for our weekly new recipe night.
Emily
Let me know how you like that chicken. It was so yummy the night we tasted it. And I’m happy to do some laundry. I’ll be over as soon as my 14,000 loads are done, folded and put away. ;)
Becky at VintageMixer
I love chicken salad with nuts and grapes! yum! And Deer Valley has the best recipes, glad you snagged their granola recipe, I’m excited to try it.
Emily
I love chicken salad with nuts, though sometimes I can pass on the grapes. Depends on how “fruity” I’m feeling! I’ve never had a Deer Valley anything, but if the rest of their recipes are as good as this granola one, I need to try more!
Quinn
Apple Toffee French Toast? Ummmm… HECK YES. Wow. All these look so yummy!
Emily
I know! I am dying to make that recipe!