Recipe Roundup: Fave main dishes, 2010

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.

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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