Me & The Moose

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French toast casserole | Me & The Moose. Use up your sandwich bread crusts and heels with this no-soak, fast, simple French toast casserole. #meandthemoose #frenchtoast #breakfastrecipes #nosoakfrenchtoast #fastfancyrecipes

French toast casserole

January 28, 2022 by Rebecca Davis in Baking, Cooking, Quick meals, Recipes, Sweets, Vegetarian, Winter, Fall

Don’t throw out the sandwich bread crusts and heels that your kids won’t eat! Turn them into a simple, fast French toast casserole that’s crunchy, eggy, cinnamon-y, and caramel-y.

Take me to the recipe!

French toast casserole | Me & The Moose. Use up your sandwich bread crusts and heels with this no-soak, fast, simple French toast casserole. #meandthemoose #frenchtoast #breakfastrecipes #nosoakfrenchtoast #fastfancyrecipes

Why don’t kids like bread crusts? Is that universal? I thought it was bullshit until I had kids of my own and one day, the older one disavowed bread crusts FOR NO REASON.

Funnily, my husband was horrified when M started insisting that the crusts be cut off because he was like, “that’s where all the fiber is!” To which I laughed in his face because what?! Bread isn’t an apple.

Anyhoo, this recipe is the perfect way to use up bread scraps. However, this isn’t a good recipe for that rock hard baguette or formerly crusty loaf that you forgot about. This is for the ever-so-slightly tougher outer layer of sandwich bread that you’ve been saving in a bag in the fridge so it didn’t get too stale.

Why do I advocate for using softer, fresher bread? I’ll tell you! Because most French toast casserole recipes require an overnight soak. But I, for one, am way too tired at the end of the day to plan for tomorrow’s breakfast. This recipe requires no waiting, something I am not very good at anyway.

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A couple of notes:

  • Amounts: As always, the amounts listed here can be considered guidelines or ratios more than hard and fast rules. If you want the caramel on the bottom to be more like what you’d find in a sticky bun, feel free to increase the butter and sugar! Or if you have more or less than 6 cups of bread, adjust accordingly. This one is very forgiving.

  • Eggs: You want the egg/milk/vanilla/cinnamon mixture to come up about 3/4 of the way to the top of the bread. But pour in the amount listed and squish the bread down gently with your hands. If you can easily see the liquid underneath, you have enough. If you have to push down more firmly to see any liquid or if it just doesn’t feel like enough to you, add more. It’s better to have a little too much liquid than not enough. But DO NOT cover the bread with the egg mixture.

French toast casserole | Me & The Moose. Use up your sandwich bread crusts and heels with this no-soak, fast, simple French toast casserole. #meandthemoose #frenchtoast #breakfastrecipes #nosoakfrenchtoast #fastfancyrecipes

French toast casserole | Me & The Moose. Use up your sandwich bread crusts and heels with this no-soak, fast, simple French toast casserole. #meandthemoose #frenchtoast #breakfastrecipes #nosoakfrenchtoast #fastfancyrecipes

French toast casserole | Me & The Moose. Use up your sandwich bread crusts and heels with this no-soak, fast, simple French toast casserole. #meandthemoose #frenchtoast #breakfastrecipes #nosoakfrenchtoast #fastfancyrecipes

French toast casserole | Me & The Moose. Use up your sandwich bread crusts and heels with this no-soak, fast, simple French toast casserole. #meandthemoose #frenchtoast #breakfastrecipes #nosoakfrenchtoast #fastfancyrecipes

French toast casserole 

 Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 large servings

Adapted from https://belleofthekitchen.com/french-toast-casserole/

4 Tbsp butter 
½ cup brown sugar + 1 Tbsp (reserved for later)
6 cups roughly torn bread hunks
2 cup milk 
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract 
1 tsp cinnamon (or any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and cloves)
3 Tbsp coarse sugar (or substitute with granulated)  

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a large ceramic baking dish (though if metal is your only option, melt the butter and sugar in a separate bowl and then add to the baking dish), combine the butter and ½ cup of brown sugar. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until the butter has just melted. Stir for 1 minute or until the butter and the sugar are mostly combined. Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of your baking dish.

Top the melted butter and brown sugar with the roughly torn bread cubes. 

In a large measuring cup, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until all of the ingredients are incorporated. 

Pour over the bread cubes. Push down gently on the bread to assess how much liquid is in your baking dish. If the liquid doesn’t come up about ¾ of the way to the top of the bread cubes, whisk together another ½ cup of milk and 1 egg and add as much of the mixture as needed to achieve that depth of liquid.  

Combine the remaining 1 Tbsp of brown sugar and the coarse sugar and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the middle puffs up and doesn’t jiggle when you gently shake the baking dish.

January 28, 2022 /Rebecca Davis
breakfast, batch baking, big batch breakfast, French taost, French toast, leftovders, bread crusts, no waste, minimize food waste, no soak, no overnight soak, fast breafast, fast breakfast, advanced eaters, advanced eater
Baking, Cooking, Quick meals, Recipes, Sweets, Vegetarian, Winter, Fall
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Try a new take on the quick, easy, and healthy classic avocado toast with chickpeas, harissa, feta, tzatziki, pesto, arugula, eggs, and dukkah! #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #lunch #easyrecipes #breakfast

Try a new take on the quick, easy, and healthy classic avocado toast with chickpeas, harissa, feta, tzatziki, pesto, arugula, eggs, and dukkah! #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #lunch #easyrecipes #breakfast

Avocado toast with a twist

April 30, 2021 by Rebecca Davis in Budget meals, Cooking, Kid eats, lunchbox, Quick meals, Recipes, Spring, Toddler eats, Vegetarian, Vegan

Refresh your breakfast and lunch avocado toast routines with these three quick and healthy spins on the classic sandwich staple.

Try a new take on the quick, easy, and healthy classic avocado toast with chickpeas, harissa, feta, tzatziki, pesto, arugula, eggs, and dukkah! #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #lunch #easyrecipes #breakfast

Try a new take on the quick, easy, and healthy classic avocado toast with chickpeas, harissa, feta, tzatziki, pesto, arugula, eggs, and dukkah! #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #lunch #easyrecipes #breakfast

I know, I know. Who really needs a recipe for avocado toast? Well, here’s the thing. I’m SO BORED with the standard base and toppings. I love everything bagel seasoning, but if I eat one more avocado smashed with it sprinkled on top, I’m going to turn into an everything bagel. Which might sound okay, but trust me, I would make a VERY SALTY bagel.

Anyway, here are some fun options I’ve been incorporating into the rotation!

Egg, pesto, and arugula liven up the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #pesto #eggs #breakfast #lunch

Egg, pesto, and arugula liven up the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #pesto #eggs #breakfast #lunch

Egg, pesto, and arugula liven up the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #pesto #eggs #breakfast #lunch

Egg, pesto, and arugula liven up the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #avocadotoast #pesto #eggs #breakfast #lunch

Egg, pesto, and arugula avocado toast

1 piece of bread (your choice!)
1/4 large avocado, smashed
2 Tbsp pesto
1 egg, cooked using your preferred method
1 large handful arugula
flaky sea salt
drizzle of olive oil

Toast your bread.

While the bread is toasting, cook your egg however you like. I’ve used fried, poached, hard-boiled, and scrambled eggs in this and they all taste great.

Prep your other ingredients. I linked to my basic, kid-friendly pesto above, but there are loads of pesto recipes on this site OR feel free to use your own favorite recipe or a store-bought version.

Smash the avocado onto your bread with a fork and spread pesto on top. Add the egg and the arugula. Top with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Crispy chickpeas, dukkah and harissa are a fresh vegan take on the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #veganrecipes #veganlunch #chickpeas

Crispy chickpeas, dukkah and harissa are a fresh vegan take on the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #veganrecipes #veganlunch #chickpeas

Crispy chickpeas, dukkah and harissa are a fresh vegan take on the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #veganrecipes #veganlunch #chickpeas

Crispy chickpeas, dukkah and harissa are a fresh vegan take on the classic avocado toast. #meandthemoose #veganrecipes #veganlunch #chickpeas

Dukkah, crispy chickpea, and harissa avocado toast

1 piece of bread (your choice!)
1/4 large avocado, smashed
1 can of chickpeas
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbsp dukkah seasoning (I used a Trader Joe’s mix, but dukkah recipes and pre-made mixes are easy to find)
1/4-1/2 tsp harissa spice
flaky sea salt
drizzle of olive oil (I used roasted garlic oil)

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread the drained chickpeas out on a sheet pan and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with the olive oil and a large pinch of sea salt and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the chickpeas are crispy.

While the chickpeas are baking, toast your bread.

Smash the avocado on top of the bread and sprinkle with the dukkah seasoning. Top with about 1/4 cup of the crispy chickpeas. Sprinkle on your desired amount of harissa, flaky sea salt, and olive oil.

Quick-pickled cucumbers and onions add a lightly sweet and tangy bite to the salty feta and creamy, garlicky tzatziki of this new version of avocado toast. #meandthemoose #feta #tzatziki #avocadotoast #lunch #breakfast #quickpickles

Quick-pickled cucumbers and onions add a lightly sweet and tangy bite to the salty feta and creamy, garlicky tzatziki of this new version of avocado toast. #meandthemoose #feta #tzatziki #avocadotoast #lunch #breakfast #quickpickles

Quick-pickled cucumbers and onions add a lightly sweet and tangy bite to the salty feta and creamy, garlicky tzatziki of this new version of avocado toast. #meandthemoose #feta #tzatziki #avocadotoast #lunch #breakfast #quickpickles

Quick-pickled cucumbers and onions add a lightly sweet and tangy bite to the salty feta and creamy, garlicky tzatziki of this new version of avocado toast. #meandthemoose #feta #tzatziki #avocadotoast #lunch #breakfast #quickpickles

Tzatziki, feta, and pickled cucumber avocado toast

1 piece of bread (your choice!)
1/4 large avocado, smashed
1 English or hothouse cucumber (use 3/4 for the pickles and the other 1/4 for the tzatziki if making yourself)
1/2 large white onion
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1-2 Tbsp tzatiki (recipe here or use a premade version)
1-2 Tbsp crumbled feta

Thinly slice 3/4 of the cucumber and 1/2 of the onion. Combine with the white vinegar, salt, and sugar in a container with a lid. Shake well and leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Make the tzatziki, if necessary.

Toast your bread. Smash the avocado on the bread and top with pickled cucumbers. Add the tzatziki and top with the crumbled feta.

April 30, 2021 /Rebecca Davis
avocado, avocado toast, lunch, breakfast, vegetarian, eggs, vegan, advanced eaters, chickpeas, dukkah, harissa, pickles, cucumbers, tzatziki, feta, Greek, Mediterranean, easy, pesto, arugula, fast, fast cooking, spring, kid food, toddler food
Budget meals, Cooking, Kid eats, lunchbox, Quick meals, Recipes, Spring, Toddler eats, Vegetarian, Vegan
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This quick, warm potato salad is a little creamy, a little crunchy, a little herbaceous, a little spicy, and very delicious. #meandthemoose #sidedishes #potatoes #potatorecipes #warmpotatosalad #potatosaladrecipes

Warm potato salad

September 22, 2020 by Rebecca Davis in Cooking, Fall, Gluten-free, Kid eats, Parenting, Quick meals, Recipes, Toddler eats, Vegetarian

Potato salad might be the perfect transitional food: It’s reminiscent of the BBQs and long summer days that we’re leaving behind, but as we head towards fall, what’s more comforting than a bowl of starchy goodness?

Bring me to the potatoes!

This quick, warm potato salad is a little creamy, a little crunchy, a little herbaceous, a little spicy, and very delicious. #meandthemoose #sidedishes #potatoes #potatorecipes #warmpotatosalad #potatosaladrecipes
This quick, warm potato salad is a little creamy, a little crunchy, a little herbaceous, a little spicy, and very delicious. #meandthemoose #sidedishes #potatoes #potatorecipes #warmpotatosalad #potatosaladrecipes

Phew. I am in the thick of this motherhood in a pandemic thing, y’all. (While also trying to be okay with what we have [in-person school half of the time; outdoor, distanced playdates], and what we don’t [travel, grandparents without preplanning, sports, activities]. I was about to actually start this blog post asking, “from where is our worth derived?” And then I said to myself: GET A GRIP BECCA, THIS IS JUST A FUCKING FOOD BLOG.

One thing I’m really missing, and I think we can all relate to this somewhat, is that sense of having discreet portions of the day. I blame the pandemic, the world being both literally and figuratively on fire, and being home all the time, but having a 5.5 month old baby who is, thus far, schedule resistant, also doesn’t help.

Whatever the cause, I miss those few downbeat moments every day where you could switch from one mode to the next. Now I feel like I’m never able to focus on one thing completely. I can’t just test a recipe or take some photos. Instead, I’m doing that while comforting a crying baby and finding a very specific episode of Paw Patrol on the DVR and getting some water and searching for a missing Lego and nursing and and and.

On the flip side, I find myself not tuning in to my kids entirely either, which makes me really upset with myself and this fucking situation we’re in. I think that fear, anger, resentment, and frustration makes it hard for me to find the bandwidth for a really involved pretend game or art project or science experiment. But that sucks for my kids because they aren’t responsible for the pandemic. But I’m also human and I can’t be the perfect mom all day, every day. * PRIMAL SCREEEEAAAAAMMMMM *

This quick, warm potato salad is a little creamy, a little crunchy, a little herbaceous, a little spicy, and very delicious. #meandthemoose #sidedishes #potatoes #potatorecipes #warmpotatosalad #potatosaladrecipes

But anyway, time marches on and suddenly summer has turned into fall. I don’t know what we did with the warm months. Did they even happen? Who knows.

This quick, warm potato salad is a little creamy, a little crunchy, a little herbaceous, a little spicy, and very delicious. #meandthemoose #sidedishes #potatoes #potatorecipes #warmpotatosalad #potatosaladrecipes

We did celebrate summer produce thanks to our prolific cucumber, zucchini, and basil plants AND our favorite farm stand. Now that fall is bearing down on us, there’s nothing like a meal to mark the changing of the seasons and this potato salad is the culinary equivalent of a light jacket: A nod to both warm and cold, casual and cozy.

While potato salad might seem relegated to side-dishery, I topped this with a runny egg for an unexpectedly fab breakfast. Try it!

This quick, warm potato salad is a little creamy, a little crunchy, a little herbaceous, a little spicy, and very delicious. #meandthemoose #sidedishes #potatoes #potatorecipes #warmpotatosalad #potatosaladrecipes

Warm potato salad 

Time: About 15-20 minutes, mostly active
Yield:
about 3-3.5 cups of salad

1½ lbs small potatoes (new, fingerling, red, etc; cut any larger ones so that most pieces are about the same size) 
¼ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt 
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped red onion (about 1 thick slice from a medium or small onion) 
2 Tbsp finely chopped chives
1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Dash of red wine vinegar or 1 tsp of chopped capers 

Microwave the washed potatoes in a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap on high for 10 minutes. Or cover the potatoes with cold water until they’re just submerged. Heat over a high flame until boiling. Boil, lowering the flame slightly to avoid the water boiling over, until fork tender, about 12-14 minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. 

Once the potatoes are fork tender, add them to the mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

September 22, 2020 /Rebecca Davis
potato salad, potatoes, side dish, side dishes, gluten free, gluten-free, dairy-free option, summer meals, fall, fall flavors, quick cooking, quick, fast, fast cooking, breakfast, salad, salads, kid food, kid eats, toddler eats, toddler living, mom life, recipes, seasonal, seasonal cooking
Cooking, Fall, Gluten-free, Kid eats, Parenting, Quick meals, Recipes, Toddler eats, Vegetarian
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