I had to rename this recipe....I mean, after all, how many times can you hear your kids and husband repeat 'this is amazing!' before you start to blush!? I originally found this recipe for Baked Croissant Blueberry French Toast. It looked nothing short of amazing, but when I saw the nutrition info, I nearly choked! And, when I saw that the dish had to rest for 2 hours before baking, I knew that wasn't going to fly with a bunch of hungry mouths waking up in the morning....so I decided to modify it :)
Now granted, anything involving croissants is bound to send the fat and calorie tickers soaring, but I knew there had to be a way to make a lesser evil :) The original recipe calls for half and half along with whole milk -- inspired by my Slim Potato Casserole, I decided to sub these two original ingredients with Vanilla Low Fat Yogurt and 2% Milk, saving me and my family A LOT of calories and fat without sacrificing on taste!
Hot out of the oven!
Here is how I adapted this recipe to make it more waistline friendly and less time consuming:
OVERNIGHT BLUSHING BLUEBERRY CROISSANT CASSEROLE
CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS:
6-8 Plain Croissants Cut Lengthwise
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups 2% Milk
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla Low Fat Yogurt
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3 Tbs. Orange Juice
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
Spray a 9 X 13 inch ceramic or glass baking dish (do not use metal!) with cooking spray. Line cut croissants in the dish, laying cut side up. Next, in a large bowl, combine remaining casserole ingredients. Pour the liquid over the top of the croissants. Cover the entire dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight -- allowing the liquid to be absorbed.
TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Blueberries
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
In the morning, Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the casserole from the fridge and set aside. Next, sprinkle the casserole with blueberries and chopped pecans. Place the brown sugar and butter in a small microwave safe bowl and heat on low power for about 45 seconds, until butter is melted. Stir butter and sugar mixture to combine, then pour over top of blueberries and pecans.
Place casserole, uncovered in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 min until browned and bubbly (mine took about 23 min).
BLUEBERRY SYRUP INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Blueberries
1/2 Cup Natural Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
While casserole is baking, heat syrup ingredients in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Continue to cook syrup, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries have popped and the syrup becomes a dark purple color. The original recipe, says to strain the syrup through a sieve, but I decided to leave it unstrained....I liked having the blueberries in it :)
Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for 8-10 min. Now, I must put in a disclaimer here....I have never liked breakfast casseroles because of their textures....they always comes out mushy and pudding-like, which to me is a major turn off. I was a little worried to see that this casserole was no different (must just be the nature of the beast...) BUT -- and this is a big BUT -- if you are like me and hate breakfast casserole textures, I urge you to still give this one a try!! It is on the mushy side, but allowing it to cool slightly gives is a firmer texture...and once you take your first bite, you will forget about the texture -- I think because this is a sweet rather than savory casserole, the looser texture doesn't bother me!?
This is an incredibly delicious breakfast -- and although the ingredients/directions look long, it really takes no time or effort at all. The results are stunning and I know you will surprise whomever you serve it to...their complements will have you blushing! :)
OVERNIGHT BLUSHING BLUEBERRY CROISSANT CASSEROLE
CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS:
6-8 Plain Croissants Cut Lengthwise
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups 2% Milk
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla Low Fat Yogurt
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3 Tbs. Orange Juice
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
Spray a 9 X 13 inch ceramic or glass baking dish (do not use metal!) with cooking spray. Line cut croissants in the dish, laying cut side up. Next, in a large bowl, combine remaining casserole ingredients. Pour the liquid over the top of the croissants. Cover the entire dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight -- allowing the liquid to be absorbed.
TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Blueberries
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
In the morning, Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the casserole from the fridge and set aside. Next, sprinkle the casserole with blueberries and chopped pecans. Place the brown sugar and butter in a small microwave safe bowl and heat on low power for about 45 seconds, until butter is melted. Stir butter and sugar mixture to combine, then pour over top of blueberries and pecans.
Place casserole, uncovered in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 min until browned and bubbly (mine took about 23 min).
BLUEBERRY SYRUP INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Blueberries
1/2 Cup Natural Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
While casserole is baking, heat syrup ingredients in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Continue to cook syrup, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries have popped and the syrup becomes a dark purple color. The original recipe, says to strain the syrup through a sieve, but I decided to leave it unstrained....I liked having the blueberries in it :)
Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for 8-10 min. Now, I must put in a disclaimer here....I have never liked breakfast casseroles because of their textures....they always comes out mushy and pudding-like, which to me is a major turn off. I was a little worried to see that this casserole was no different (must just be the nature of the beast...) BUT -- and this is a big BUT -- if you are like me and hate breakfast casserole textures, I urge you to still give this one a try!! It is on the mushy side, but allowing it to cool slightly gives is a firmer texture...and once you take your first bite, you will forget about the texture -- I think because this is a sweet rather than savory casserole, the looser texture doesn't bother me!?
This is an incredibly delicious breakfast -- and although the ingredients/directions look long, it really takes no time or effort at all. The results are stunning and I know you will surprise whomever you serve it to...their complements will have you blushing! :)
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