nosh

Since I seem to be on a roll with "cheater" recipes, here's another one that is absolutely delicious, easy, and of course (in the vein of cheater recipes) uses a premade and/or frozen item as a main ingredient.  I feel NO guilt cheating with this one, since it's so good.  Taken from an ancient Jewish cookbook that was compiled and sold as a fundraiser for a home for the elderly in my state.  This recipe can be easily halved.  It is best served hot out of the oven.  Some of my family members like to sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar over theirs.

Ingredients

• 12 frozen blintzes (2 boxes), either cheese or fruit blintzes, or one box of each
• 16 ounce container of sour cream (light or no-fat is fine)
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tablespooons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/8 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 lb butter or margarine (lowfat spread is fine too)

Directions

• Preheat over to 350 F
• Using a baking dish big enough to allow all 12 blintzes to fit in one layer, melt butter and pour into the bottom of baking dish so that it coats the bottom
• Lay blintzes in 1 layer in pan on top of butter
• Thoroughly mix all other ingredients together and pour evenly over blintzes
• Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown

Every year I throw a big brunch on New Year's Day.  This is a favorite and it gets devoured.  It's easy to make and the only skills required are ripping (or cutting) bread into pieces and beating eggs.  It's best made 4-24 hours prior to baking and can handle being served in a heated chafing dish for quite a while. 

Ingredients

• One 16 ounce loaf of cinnamon toast bread
• One dozen eggs
• 3 cups milk (I used 1%, but any type will do)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Tear or cut the cinnamon toast into bite-sized (1") pieces and place evenly in a greased, deep (3"+) 3-quart baking or casserole dish (or disposable aluminum chafing dishes which fit in 1/2 of a chafer).
• Beat together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the bread, making sure all the bread gets thoroughly wet.
• Cover the pan and refrigerate 4-14 hours
• Bake 60 minutes uncovered in a 350 F oven or until center has set. Center should not appear runny.

Serve with REAL maple syrup, or even a berry syrup.