Raisin French Toast Casserole

 French toast is tasty but can be fussy and/or time-consuming. I developed a casserole version that tries to be quick and easy but still just as tasty.

Ingredients

• 9 cups cubed raisin bread (I used most of a 28-ounce loaf)
• 2⅔ cups milk (whole milk will be richer, but you could use 2%. I don't recommend skim.)
• 7 eggs
• 7 tablespoons sugar (that's ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons OR ½ cup minus 1 tablespoon.)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg, divided (from a nut if you can get it 😀)
• 1 cup toasted and chopped pecans (also good with walnuts or slivered almonds)
• ½ stick butter, cut into 12 pieces, plus additional butter for the pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Butter a 9"x13" casserole dish or baking pan.

If you have time, lightly toast the bread cubes in the oven on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 (this step is optional.) Remove the bread from the oven (keeping the oven on) and cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes

For the batter: beat milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl with an immersion blender (or use a whisk but try not to beat much air into the batter.) Add the cooled bread cubes and nuts and stir to combine. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each of the cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl and stir to distribute. Let the mixture soak for 10-15 minutes. Pour the bread mixture into the casserole and dust the top with the remaining cinnamon and nutmeg. Arrange butter pieces evenly on the top. Bake in the oven until the top starts to turn golden brown and crispy, about 50 minutes to an hour.

Jambalaya

 I'm always afraid to post recipes that are beloved regional or cultural favorites, since I don't necessarily have all the cultural history or culinary bonafides to qualify me as an authority on anything. I might be missing a key ingredient, preparation step, or other detail that can really make or break the recipe. All that being said, I've had some jambalaya that I liked as well as jambalaya that I didn't like, and this recipe here is the best I've ever had. Now I've never been to New Orleans or had jambalaya cooked by a real pro, but based on my very limited experience, this is worth sharing.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs smoked sausage such as Andouille, diced (I've also used Linguica)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves, give or take)
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped (you may take out the seeds and ribs if you like it mild)
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes Sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or Cayenne pepper if you like it hotter)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large dutch oven, sweat the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons oil or butter with half the salt over medium-low heat. Once veggies are softened, add the sausage and cook until it starts to brown. Add the rice and cook over medium heat until the starts to get brown and smells toasty. Add the garlic, spices, and herbs except the bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and taste the broth for seasoning. Add remaining salt and any other additional seasonings to taste. Turn off the heat and add Worcestershire sauce and sherry vinegar. Stir to combine all ingredients. Wet a tea towel over the sink, wring it out well and cover the dutch oven with the towel, then it's lid. Pull the corners of the towel up onto the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest off heat for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.