Brie Croque Monsieur Sandwiches

There are grilled cheese sandwiches, and then there are Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  I have always been helplessly enthralled with any menu that has the words Croque Monsieur on it.  Because that basically translates to a rocking great grilled cheese sandwich that involves thin-sliced ham, swiss cheese, an egg batter that the whole thing has been dipped in, and some deep-frying.  Usually with some fries on the side, to make sure your calorie intake is high enough.

So imagine this: the very same thing...except instead of the swiss cheese, you use Brie cheese.  And in  my case, I used D'Affinois, which is the cheese I would choose to take with me if I was ever banished forever to a desert island and could only choose one cheese to take with me.  (These are the things I think about, just so you know.  It never hurts to have a plan.)

Now, some Croque Monsieurs out there in the world use a much thicker batter, but I think the light (and I use that word loosely, given what we are talking about here) french toast-type egg mixture approach is actually kinda better.  It lets the whole cheese and ham end of things shine through in all their glory.  And this is one of those recipes that is, well, glorious.  You practically have to eat it with your eyes closed just to make sure nothing else in the world interferes.

Please go make this right now.  Time's a wasting.

Brie Croque Monsieur Sandwiches, adapted from Ile de France Cheeses

9 oz.  Brie or D'Affinois cheese, cut into 12 thin slices

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

6 slices thin sliced ham

12 slices white bread

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided

• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk salt and pepper. Set aside.
  
  
• Assemble six sandwiches, each with one slice of ham and two slices of cheese between two slices of bread. Cut each sandwich into quarters.
  
  
• Heat half of the melted butter in a large nonstick pan on medium heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan.
  
  
• Dip half of the sandwich quarters into the egg and milk mixture, turning to coat. Immediately place in preheated pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melting. Repeat with remaining butter and  sandwiches. Serve hot.

Click here for printable recipe

Kentucky Hot Brown!

I think this MAY be the most delicious thing I have ever made, eaten, seen, smelled or otherwise come in any contact with over the course of my entire life.  This, my friends, is called a Kentucky Hot Brown, and my only regret is that I have gotten to the ripe old age of...well, never mind...and this is the first time I have eaten one.  I have a lot of catching up to do.

Here's how this all happened.   Back around Thanksgiving, I found a recipe in the New York Times for a very unusual way of cooking turkey.  I finally got around to making it, and let's just say that it involved a lot of Saran Wrap, a meat thermometer and a steam bath for the turkey,  and the stress of it all took about five years off my life.  But it resulted in some outstanding tasting turkey.  Because of the stress part I am not going to do one of my usual blog posts about it, but if you want to live life on the edge, turkey-wise, you can find the recipe by clicking here. The rest of you can either make your turkey the normal way, or even get some from your friendly neighborhood deli counter - just make sure they slice it thick, about 1/4 inch or so.

Anyhow, as is usually the case with any turkey-cooking, I ended up with a whole lot of leftovers, and I dimly remembered that I had heard of something called a Hot Brown that called for sliced cooked turkey.  Googling ensued.  Soon I found the original recipe for it, which dates back to a dish from the 1920's at the Brown Hotel in Kentucky.  This recipe called for a QUART of heavy cream, and that was enough to stop even me in my tracks.  So I moved on to Bobby Flay's version of it, which is not slenderizing by any means, but at least uses milk instead of the cream.

To cut to the chase, what you are putting together here is this: a piece of french toast that is topped with sliced turkey, sliced tomato and a succulent cheddar cheese sauce.  You run the whole thing under the broiler, lay a couple slices of bacon on top, sprinkle with some chopped parsley, and there you have it.  A Kentucky Hot Brown.

Do not let one more second go by without having this yourself.  It's worth roasting a turkey just to have leftovers to make this baby.  Kentucky Hot Brown...you heard it here first!

Kentucky Hot Brown, adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the egg bread:

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt
• 8 (1/2-inch) thick slices good day old white bread
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For assembly:

• Roasted turkey breast, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and griddled until slightly charred and just cooked through
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 16 thick slices slab bacon, cooked until crisp
• Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

For the sauce:

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour has cooked out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.

For the egg bread:

Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and let sit about 30 seconds, or until completely soaked through.  Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 slices of the bread at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bread.

For assembly:

Preheat broiler. Place the egg bread on a baking sheet.  Top each slice of bread with 2 to 3 slices of turkey and 2 slices of tomato, ladle sauce over the top and divide the cheddar cheese and Parmesan over the top of each slice. Place under the broiler and cook until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, top each slice with 1-2 slices of bacon and sprinkle each slice with parsley.

Click here for printable recipe

Caramel French Toast

French toast is the teenager's all-time favorite, and I make it a LOT. I can almost make it in my sleep at this point, that's how often she comes into the kitchen with those puppy dog eyes and says, "Mommy, can you make me french toast?"



It's the "Mommy" part that just kills me. She's 17 and I still instinctively whip my head around whenever I hear a little voice call out "Mommy!!" in a crowded store.

Anyway. I thought I knew everything there was to know about french toast, but as it turns out, there was one vital trick I wasn't aware of, and that is that you can caramelize the outside of it with one very easy extra step. Yep, I said caramelize. Can you STAND it? All the creamy, comforting goodness of french toast, but with a thin, slightly crispy caramel coating on the outside.

Now, a few weeks ago I did a post on all fabulous Stonewall Kitchen goodies, and among other things I mentioned this stuff.

Which was the perfect accompaniment to caramel french toast. Although I wouldn't say no to good old Vermont maple syrup too. Drop some of the wonderful blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and/or strawberries that are springing up all around us right on top and you are in French Toast Heaven. The world's best breakfast, although to be totally honest with you, I made this for dinner. Breakfast for dinner. Does it get any better???

Caramel French Toast, from Bon Appetit

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 8 1-inch-thick slices French bread
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh blueberries and raspberries
• Your choice of syrup

• Mix butter and brown sugar in small bowl to blend.
  
• Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, and spices in large bowl to blend, and soak the bread slices in the milk mixture until they are good and soaked, at least 5 minutes. 10 is even better.
  
• Melt 4 tablespoons brown sugar-butter mixture in large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. (If you can't fit them all in one skillet then only use 2 tablespoons butter mixture and save some of the next batch.) Spread remaining butter mixture over bread. Add bread slices to each skillet, butter side UP. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn slices over. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Divide French toast among 4 plates. Sift powdered sugar over. Top with blueberries and raspberries; drizzle with syrup.

Click here for printable recipe

French Toast Muffins

French toast is my secret weapon when it comes to teenagers. No matter how embarrassing I manage to be as a mom (yes! as a matter of fact I DO have Single Ladies on my Ipod, and I am going to sing it. Loudly. And yes, I realize I might have gotten the lyrics wrong, but I like singing it anyway, even if your friends are over.)...even if I am that mortifying, I still can redeem myself by making my famous french toast.

And honestly, it's not that famous. It's the garden variety dunk some bread in beaten egg, fry it up in butter and serve it with cinnamon sugar and maple syrup version, but hey, apparently it just tastes that much better when Mama makes it, and I'll take it. She adores it, and I adore her, so it's all good.

Anyway, when I ran across this recipe for french toast muffins I knew I was on to something really, truly great. See those little chunks up on the top of each muffin?

They are pieces of cinnamon bread that have been soaked in the egg batter and then plunked on the top of the muffin batter, so they cook up as little heavenly pieces of actual french toast right on top of your french toast flavored muffin.

Let's take a closer look.

I figure I am now good to sing the wrong lyrics to Single Ladies for the rest of my born days now.

French Toast Muffins, from Recipezaar

French Toast Topping

• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg,slightly beaten
• 6 slices cinnamon bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Muffins

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 375°F
2. Combine all French toast topping ingredients in medium bowl; set aside,.
3. Combine 1 cup milk, melted butter, 1 egg and maple flavoring in another medium bowl. Combine all remaining muffin ingredients in large bowl. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until mixed.
4. Spoon batter into greased 12-cup muffin pan. Spoon French toast topping evenly over batter; press down slightly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Immediately brush muffins with maple-flavored syrup. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Sprinkle over glazed muffins. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.

Click here for printable recipe

Savory French Toast BLTs

We are french toast FANATICS in my house. The teenager has said to me more than once that when she comes home from college it is going to be to see me and her dad and to eat some of my homemade french toast. (Not necessarily in that order, I'm guessing, but she is too sweet to put it that way.)

Anyway, I am always trolling for new french toast recipes and up until now they have all been variations on the sweet breakfast version. Until the other day, when I ran across this one, which is definitely a dinner version. It's the same basic concept -- bread soaked in egg and fried -- but oh, man...this time with chives and fresh ground pepper in the egg, and with a BLT topping.

I am getting heart palpitations just reliving it.

I don't think I have anything more to say about this one, except, please go make it right now, so you understand what I am talking about.

Savory French Toast BLTs, adapted from Everyday Food

8 slices bacon
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped chives, plus more for garnish
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
4 slices bread
4 lettuce leaves
8 slices tomato

1. Cook bacon using your preferred method, drain on paper towels, set aside.

2. Whisk together eggs, cream and chives. Lay bread slices in single layer in shallow dish and pour egg mixture over. Soak for 3 minutes, turn bread over and soak for 3 minutes more.

3. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. When butter sizzles, add bread and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Layer lettuce, bacon and tomato on each slice of french toast, garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Click here for printable recipe.

Pumpkin Apple Walnut Stuffed French Toast

This recipe is the living breathing proof that you can find a good recipe pretty much anywhere you go if you just pay attention. I work in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and every morning instead of doing the healthy, responsible thing and walking from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to my office, I hop into a taxi. It's my one commuting indulgence -- I don't stop at Starbucks, I don't pick up a giant New York City bagel with cream cheese (although I WANT to. I really do.) But I do jump right into that cab every morning.

And those of you lucky to have taken a New York taxi lately know that they have installed these little television screens in the back of each one. They give you the weather (thank you!), a lot of ads (really??? I really have to listen to ads on my cab ride, too??) and every once in a while, a little news story that you are actually interested in. Last week it was a story about this wonderful-sounding restaurant called The Turning Point, located on the New Jersey shore. (Or as we native New-Jerseyites say, "down the shore.") The story focussed on their pumpkin-stuffed french toast, and it had me paying rapt attention in the back of my cab at 7am in the morning....which means, it looked like some rocking good french toast. So later that day I tracked down the recipe, which was a bit more complicated than anything I want to attempt on a weekday, but gave me the basis for a pretty delicious streamlined version. And you know me....breakfast for dinner is my idea of heaven. This particular recipe is like French Toast meets Pumpkin Pie, and when topped with a good dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon sugar....ahhhhhhhhhh.

So thanks, Annoying New York City Taxi TV! You finally paid off. Now please stop running all those ads for the new Jay Leno show and we'll be all set.

PUMPKIN APPLE WALNUT STUFFED FRENCH TOAST, adapted heavily from this version from The Turning Point.

Makes 2 servings.

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsps vanilla

1 Tbs cream cheese

2 Tbs applesauce

1/8 cup chopped walnuts

4 slices sandwich bread

1. Combine all ingredients except bread, eggs and milk and mix thoroughly.

2. · Spread pumpkin mixture on bread and put bread slices together sandwich style.

3. Mix eggs and milk together in shallow bowl

4. Soak sandwiches on both sides in egg/mil mixture.

5. Heat frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat, grease with about 1 tablespoon of butter.

6. Cook sandwiches on griddle until both sides are lightly toasted.

7. Serve with maple syrup and fresh whipped cream. I like to shake cinnamon sugar on the top of mine.

Click here for printable recipe

French Toast with Berries

So, I didn't start out thinking about making french toast. I started out by thinking, my photography teacher is coming over to help me with my new lights, I need something nice to photograph that will not wilt, melt, drip, shrivel...you get my drift. I racked my brain, what there is left of it. And then I heard a little voice in my head saying "French toast, french toast!
It was actually a big voice, and it wasn't in my head, it was in my kitchen, and it was coming out of my teenager, who thinks the basic food groups are macaroni and cheese, hamburgers, pizza, anything chocolate (Milk chocolate. Don't give her dark chocolate, whatever you do.) and...french toast. I can make french toast in my sleep at this point. The teenager probably could too, but it is SO much better when Mom makes it. I think that, too. :-)
And I thought, that's it, french toast! Ready for it's close-up, and able to withstand hours of photography instruction while still looking beautiful!
So, I got myself a nice collection of these:


Because life is better with blueberries.

And made up a batch of my "can make it with my eyes closed" french toast. Which we ate. And then I made another batch that we photographed for 2 hours, and the dog then ate.
My french toast, I should say, is not the thick, crunchy on the outside baked kind, but the thinner, creamy kind that you make with whatever sandwich bread you have on hand. No offense to the thick kind, and there are definitely lots of yummy french toast recipes that you can soak overnight, bake in the oven, etc etc. My challenge is to get the french toast from an idea in my head to on the table in about 10 minutes...and still have it taste so good that my girl says, "Mommy, you make the best french toast in the WORLD!." So here it is, my rapid-fire french toast recipe, beloved by teenagers and dogs alike.

FRENCH TOAST

Serves one dog. Or one teenager.

• 1 tablespoon butter


• 2 slices sandwich bread. Does not have to be stale but can be!


• 1 egg


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1 tablespoon sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


• Maple syrup or fruit or powdered sugar for topping. Go ahead, have all three.
  

1. Whisk together egg, milk, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon until well blended.

2. Lay bread out flat in a shallow dish with sides. Pour egg mixture over all. Let sit for about 2 minutes, flipping bread over several times, until totally saturated.

3. Heat butter in frying pan over medium high heat until melted.

4. Transfer soaked breads slices to frying pan. Depending on how saturated they are, you might have to do this with a spatula.

5. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, checking the underside by lifting with spatula until golden. Flip over and fry other side until golden brown.

6. Transfer to plate and top with syrup, powdered sugar, fruit, cinnamon sugar -- whatever catches your fancy.