Cracklin' Bread (a variation on the classic)

It's cornbread with breakfast meat and cheese in it!

1 box of corn muffin mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

a breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, ham, scrapple, whichever you prefer)

a handful of grated cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a cast iron skillet, fry your breakfast meat. In a separate bowl, combine the corn muffin mix and the rest of the ingredients and whisk together. When the meat is cooked, add it to the bowl with the corn muffin batter. Then pour everything back into the skillet (don't clean it) and stick it in the oven for twenty minutes or until the top is golden brown. Slice into wedges and have it for breakfast with your coffee. 

This bread is fun because you can add  pretty much anything to it that you would put in an omelette. (The bread pictured above has sausage and sauteed onions in it.) Sometimes we'll add bacon and sausage and shredded smoked gouda to it. It's excellent! 

-compliments of Dan Nowakowski and Chris Quaile

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

3 tsp. vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini (unpeeled)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Beat eggs well.  Add sugar, oil, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.  Mix well.  Fold in zucchini and walnuts.  Pour into 2 well-greased and floured loaf pans or 1 bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 55 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.

-compliments of Janet Quaile

Ultimate Melt-In-Your Mouth Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick

1 cup milk

1 tbs. sugar

2 tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

Stir all ingredients until blended.  Cook on hot greased griddle until edges are dry.  Turn, cook until golden.

-compliments of Michele Horenstein

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. caraway seeds

1 cup raisins

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, sift together first 5 ingredients.  With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into buttered cast iron skillet.  bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.  Serve.  Freezes well.  Tastes great with morning coffee!

-compliments of Cass Quaile

Hot Chocolate Mix

8 qt. instant non-fat dry milk

6-7 oz. powdered cream substitute

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 16 oz. can instant chocolate drink mix (Quik)

1 cup powdered sugar sifted

Makes 1 gal. dry.  Blend well in large container and store in air-tight container.  Place 1/3 cup of mix in mug and fill with boiling water.  Stir and serve.

-compliments of Ruby Ray and Chris Bardascino

Citrus Raisin Strata

10 slices cinnamon raisin bread

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups half & half or light cream

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. finely shredded orange peel

1 tsp. vanilla

vanilla yogurt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Tear bread into bite-sized pieces.  Place in greased 2 quart square baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, half and half, sugar, orange peel and vanilla.  Pour over bread in baking dish.  bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with vanilla yogurt.  Makes 6 servings.

-compliments of Colleen Millan

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup raisins

1 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Stir all ingredients until soft dough forms.  Drop by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Blueberry French Toast

12 slices day-old white bread without crusts

1 8oz. pkg. cream sheese, cut small

1 cup blueberries

12 eggs

2 cups milk

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

Sauce:

1 cup sugar

2 tbs. cornstarch

1 cup water

1 cup blueberries

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

Cut bread into cubes.  Place half in greased 13" x 9" pan.  Place cheese over bread.  Top with  blueberries and remaining bread.  in a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add milk and syrup.  Mix well.  Pour over  bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from frig 30 minutes before baking.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover, bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and center is set.  In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, add water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in blueberries, reduce heat.  Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in butter until melted.  Serve over french toast.

-compliments of Jean Tomasetti

Biscuits

Heaping:

2 tbs. melted Spry

1 cup milk

1 beaten egg

2 tbs. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups flour

Mix all together.  Fill muffin tins.  375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

-compliments of Pop Maloney

Banana Bread

Cream 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cup shortening.  Add 3 eggs.  Sift together 3 cups sifted flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 3/4 tsp. soda.  Add this with 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas.  Mix thoroughly and add 3/4 cup nuts.  bake in 2 loaf pans for 1 hour in 350 degree oven, 325 degrees if glass.

-compliments of Ruby Ray

Bagel, Lox & Egg Strata

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

8 cups plain bagels, cut into bite-sized pieces (4 to 6 bagels)

1 3 oz. package thinly sliced smoked salmon (lox style) cut into small pieces

8 oz. Swiss cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded ( 2 cups)

1/4 cup snipped fresh chives

8 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 cup cottage cheese

1/4 tsp. pepper

Bake in a 13" x 9" pan. Place melted butter in dish, spreading to cover the bottom.  Spread bagel pieces evenly in prepared dish.  Sprinkle lox, cheese and chives evenly over bagel pieces.  In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, cottage cheese and pepper. Pour over layers in dish.  press down gently using back of wooden spoon to moisten all of the ingredients.  cover and chill in the frig for 4 to 24 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until set and edges are puffed and golden.  Let stand 10 minutes or until set edges are puffed and golden.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 12 servings.

-compliments of Sheila Segal

Babka

1 cup milk

1/3 lb. butter

1 cup sugar

6 to 7 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

raisins

1/2 tsp. mace

1/2 cup milk

2 packages dry yeast

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk and butter until butter melts.  Let stand until lukewarm.  Put 2 cups flour and 1 cup sugar in large bowl; add cooled butter and milk mixture.  Dissolve yeast in half cup warm milk (test drop on wrist) with 1 tsp. sugar.  Let stand in warm place until yeast rises to top of cup.  Add yeast to flour/salt/mace mixture.  Add beaten eggs and vanilla, mix well.  Let rest for 20 minutes. Add flour a little at a time until dough comes off hands easily.  Knead until dough is smooth.  Grease bowl, put dough in bowl and turn in the bowl to coat dough.  Cover bowl, place in warm place and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Punch dough down and knead a few times.  Place dough in greased tube pan, let dough rise to top of pan.  Brush top of dough with beated egg white, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

-compliments of Mary Fortunski Israelski and Doris Cuneo

Apricot Chocolate Loaves

1 cup dried apricots, snipped

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1 16ox. loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tbs. milk

For filling, in a small saucepan, combine apricots and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Stir in brown sugar until dissolved.  Stir in chocolate pieces until melted, cool.  On a lightly floured surface, divide thawed bread dough in half.  Roll one half of the dough into an 8" square.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Spread half of the filling in a 4" wide strip down center of dough, leaving 2" on each side.  Slit dough at 1"a intervals along each side of filling.  Fold strips diagonally over filling alternating from side to side.  Repeat with remaining bread dough and filling.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  Bake in a 350 degree over for 30 minutes or until golden.  Transfer to a wire rack.  Cool.  In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and enough of the milk to make an icing of drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over loaves.  Make 2 loaves, 8 servings each.  Ice and serve one loaf now, wrap and freeze the other, un-iced, for later.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

2 tbs. vegetable oil

1 egg

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 12 medium muffin cups.  Stir all ingredients in a large bowl, just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among cups.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool slightly; remove trom pan to wire rack.

-compliments of Anna May Fichter