Page 21 - Jan 2024 News On 7

TICKLING YOUR TASTE BUDS

EASY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
1 (8 ounce) loaf crusty French bread, cut into
bite-sized pieces, or more as needed
2 cups milk Topping:
6 large eggs 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
Directions
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Make the French toast: Stir brown sugar and butter together in a saucepan over medium-low
heat until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour butter-brown sugar mixture into the prepared
baking dish. Scatter French bread pieces over top in a 1 1/2- to 2-inch layer.

Whisk milk, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl until well combined. Pour over bread pieces, then press bread down with a
spatula so the bread absorbs the liquid. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight. When ready
to bake, remove French toast from the refrigerator and discard plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees
C). Make topping: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the French toast. Bake in the
preheated oven until casserole is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes, covering with aluminum foil at any point if the
top is browning too much. To serve, cut into squares and invert onto serving plates.

SKILLET CHEESEBURGER PASTA
Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter 1 teaspoon granulated onion
2 teaspoons oil 1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 onion, diced 1 teaspoon chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/4 pounds 93% lean ground beef 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons pickle relish 1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon granulated garlic 3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions
Melt butter with oil in a deep cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 3
minutes. Add minced garlic and ground beef; cook and stir, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until beef is crumbly and
browned, about 7 minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce and evaporated milk. Add pickle relish, Dijon mustard, granulated garlic, granulated onion, Montreal
steak seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup beef broth, and pour
remaining beef broth into the skillet. Whisk flour and the 1/4 cup beef broth together in a small bowl to make a slurry; stir
slurry into the skillet.
Stir in dry macaroni until pasta is fully submerged. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered,
until macaroni is tender with a bite, about 10 minutes. Set a rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s
broiler. Stir 2 cups cheese into macaroni mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly across the top of the skillet. Broil until
cheese is golden, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.