BB There are a TON of great "do ahead" breakfast casseroles that are T&T on this forum. If you don't want to go through the hassle of assembling in the morning, I might suggest.... Oven-Baked Caramel French Toast 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 cup chopped pecans, divided 12 medium slices French or Italian-style bread 6 eggs 1-1/2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt Caramel Sauce 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon light corn syrup Directions 1 In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 2 tablespoons corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. 2 Pour sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Place 6 slices of bread on top of the sauce, sprinkle with the remaining pecans and cover with the remaining 6 slices of bread. 3 Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a blender. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread slices, cover the baking dish, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 4 The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the french toast from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until lightly brown. Drizzle sauce over the toast right before serving. 5 To make the Caramel Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter and 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. ******************************************************** CRE BRULEE FRENCH TOAST from WOODIE (Courtesy of Arthur Schwartz, WOR Radio) 1 Stick Butter 1 Cup Brown Sugar 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup 8-10 inch round country loaf, or 1 pound French bread or 1 Challah 5 eggs 1 1/2 cups half and half 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier 1/4 teaspoon salt 1. Melt butter, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over moderate heat. Pour into 9 X 13 pan. 2. Slice bread into 6 slices and place on top of the sauce in the 9 X 13 pan, press together to fit. 3. Whisk together eggs, half and half, Vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt. Pour over bread. 4. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours. 5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, until puffy and brown. ******************************************************* Overnite Blueberry French Toast Servings: 9 Ingredients: 12 slices day-old bread 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 1 cup fresh blueberries 12 eggs 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 tablespoon butter Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside. 2. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes, place half into prepared baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1 inch cubes and place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes. 3. Beat eggs in large bowl; add milk, vanilla and syrup or honey. Mix well; pour over bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next morning remove from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before baking. 4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set and is golden in color. 5. Prepare the sauce in a saucepan by combining the sugar and cornstarch. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in blueberries and reduce heat; cook for 10 minutes or until blueberries pop. Stir in the butter and pour over the French Toast. ******************************************************* Simpler Times French Toast 8 cups sweet French bread in 1" cubes 5 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups milk or Half & Half 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup brown sugar Put bread in large bowl. Whip eggs, sugar and nutmeg until light in color and thick. Add milk, stir and pour over bread. Cover and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, mix 1 cup blueberries into bread and put in greased pan; sprinkle balance of blueberries on top, then pecans. In pan, melt butter and brown sugar until bubbly. Pour mixture over blueberries and pecans. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until puffed. Serve hot with syrup. posted Lakeguy35 ******************************************************* Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole from Woodie 1 bag of Tater Tots 2 large tomatoes, sliced or cut up 1 lb. bacon, cooked and cut up 1 large can diced Green Chilies (optional) 1 dozen eggs, scrambled (soft) 1 bunch green onions, chopped 8-10 oz. sour cream (optional) 2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese (or American & Cheddar mixed) Mrs. Dash seasoning (optional) In 9 X 13 dish, place tater tots and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash. Bake in 400* oven for 15 minutes. After baking, smash tater tots with potato masher so they are level and make a "shell" or crust. Layer (in this order) on top the bacon, scrambled eggs, spoonfuls of sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, and top with cheddar cheese. Bake in 400* oven for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Flour makes gravy thick. Cooling gravy gets very thick too. However, what has been said is that floured gravy that is cooked at a high heat for a long period of time will eventually lose its thickness. The key is that the floured gravy is cooked at a high heat for a long time. Something happens that results in a breakdown of the flour's ability to keep the gravy thick. If you normally don't heat your gravy at a high heat for extended periods of time, you would never encounter this situation. It's similar to the idea that browned flour, such as is used for making a traditional dark roux, doesn't have the thickening power of a lighter colored roux. So boiling a thin, floured gravy may not result in a thicker gravy. Not unless it is boiled enough to actually reduce the liquid quite a bit. "Sauces thickened with starches should be reheated carefully, as they will lose some thickening ability if reheated to a full boil."

Ditto on what other folks said...except...if you use flour, be sure and simmer the gravy for at least 10 minutes after you add it to avoid a raw flour flavor. A mixture of cornstarch & just enough broth or water to liquefy it takes less time than flour and water, because it thickens almost instantly. A novice gravy maker should probably stick to one or other of these methods, especially the day of! For myself, I would probably make a roux (blond is fine) and thicken it to my taste ahead of time so as not to worry about it later. Instructions for making roux are easy to google up, but the basic idea is to cook flour in some form of fat (for gravy, I like to use chicken fat or bacon fat, but oil, lard or butter are fine-slightly more fat than flour) over a medium heat until the raw flavor of the flour is cooked off. This mixture is then whisked in, thickening the gravy or sauce or whatever. Cooking a roux for longer periods of time, so that they grow very gradually darker, produces a thickener that adds certain desired flavors to a dish. For example, a dark roux, called a "chocolate roux" by many, is both a thickener and a flavor enhancement for dishes such as etoufee or gumbo. Remember that the longer flour cooks, the less it retains of it's thickening property. A dark roux thickens far less readily than a blonde roux. I hope I didn't just make this sound way too complicated. :)

I've posted this recipe a few times, but it always comes to mind for a delicious make ahead. I take it to our Christmas celebration where Prime Rib is served and also at Thanksgiving with turkey. I do everything ahead, keep all the ingredients separate from each other and just toss together about 5-10 min before dinner. You can do all a day or two beforehand, just don't bloom the onion until the morning of, so it doesn't get too soft. It is always a BIG hit. Michael Chiarello's Winter Panzanella Salad Ingredients For the croutons: 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme 6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salad: 1 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar Gray salt 4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice) 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then quartered 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes. Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside. Toss the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 to minutes. Let cool. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 1 1/2 minutes, and drain. Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper. In a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately. Chef note: "Soaking the onion briefly in sherry vinegar--sometimes called blooming the onion--mellows the raw onion taste." Olychick note: I use artisan white bread..I prefer ciabatta; it's a lot of crust to trim, but love the texture for this salad. I poke a couple of holes in the butternut and microwave for 3 or 4 min, let cool then peel and chop. Makes it so much easier to cut and to peel.