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.

Guess because of the farm and time being a premium as well as oven space we got use to a lot of things made ahead. We usually have 12-15 people. I make my desserts (cakes, pies but not the Pistachio Salad) ahead and freeze them. Definitely make the cranberry relish ahead and after letting it set a day freeze it. It gets better with time.(Usually make several gallons for the rest of the year.) Sometimes I'll make up my crescent rolls and freeze them before baking but they are better fresh Then the night before I make up all my casseroles, (squash, sweet potatoes, onion, etc._ and get them ready and in the dishes. Cover them with foil and mark the temp and cooking time on them and put them in the frig. On TD I start at about 4 am. I mix up my stuffing, and get the turkey going. I cook my ham in my roaster, the turkey in the gas oven and the last 2 hours I'll use the electric oven to cook the casseroles. Veggies like corn, peas, mashed potatoes are last minute. Mom makes her Waldorf salad :-/ last minute usually so it doesn't get watery. Some of the family and friends I don't get to see very often so I'd rather be visiting with them instead of trying not to miss something in a recipe listening into all the fun in the other room or measuring while trying to have a conversation. (Not one of my strong suits. I always leave something out when I'm talking to somebody and cooking) It's not all fresh but a lot of the folks that come fix dinner out of a TV dinner box so they're always happy and stuffed with the fare that's put on the table. And I get to spend time with everyone.

It will turn back to liquid as it heats, no worry. The gelatinous nature just means that it will be rich, as home made stock should be. The thin layer on top is fat. You can scrape it off. Don't worry if you scrape a little stock off with it, when you heat it before mixing in the flour, it will evaporate and leave it's flavor behind. The darker layer at bottom just contains the "sediment"...again, don't worry. Were you trying to make clear broth, there are things you could do to remove the sediment, but for gravy there is no need. Just in case...if your gravy should form lumps, despite vigorous whisking, just use a stick blender or if you don't have one, a regular blender, to puree them out. The gravy will likely thicken more if you refrigerate it, so when you reheat, be sure to do so over a fairly low heat and stir occasionally so you don't scorch it after all your work.

My favorite, for what it is worth Caramel Apple Cocktail 6 servings 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar 1 lemon wedge 1 1/2 cups apple cider 6 tablespoons butterscotch schnapps 1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling wine, chilled 6 maraschino cherries Spread cinnamon sugar onto a small plate or saucer. Run the lemon wedge along the rim of 6 champagne glasses, then dip the rims into the cinnamon sugar. Combine apple cider and schnapps in a measuring cup. Divide evenly among prepared glasses. Divide sparkling wine among glassses. Garnish with cherry.