As stated somewhere on this blog, I said that I would post recipes from time to time that I have tried and found to be ones that I would make again. Recently I made a blueberry casserole for brunch for a friend I hadn’t seen in some time so that we could catch up with each other and fuel ourselves for the rest of the day.
Most of the time, I try recipes for my friends for the first time so they are my guinea pig or culinary taste tester if you will. If they ask for the recipe afterwards I know I have been successful. I don’t really worry too much if the recipe doesn’t work out as I figure we can always order a pizza or I have a back up ready in the fridge. I do though try to make my recipes in advance so that the day of the occasion is relatively stress free. It turned out well, much to my relief and my husband and I enjoyed the leftovers the next day albeit with the added benefit of crisp bacon.
Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it out:
- 6 croissants
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese cold
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 tblsp. honey or maple syrup
- 1 tblsp. icing sugar (reserved for top of casserole after baking)
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tblsp. honey
- 1 tblsp. lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 7 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray.
Cut or tear the croissants into large bite-sized pieces. Cut the cream cheese into small 1/4 inch sized cubes. (mine were a little too big but didn’t affect the taste). Place half of the croissant pieces in the dish in an even layer and then scatter half of the blueberries and cubed cream cheese cubes overtop. Add the remaining croissant pieces and then top with the cubed cream cheese and blueberries
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, lemon zest and honey (or maple syrup) until well mixed. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the casserole and use your hands to press down the croissants so the pieces are submerged (don’t worry if the tops aren’t quite covered). Transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes (up to overnight). Remove the plastic wrap and transfer to the overn to bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the casserole is baking add the frozen blueberries to a small pot along with the honey, lemon juice and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 15 minutes on medium low heat until the blueberries begin to break down. Transfer the sauce to a small pitcher. Once the casserole is done cooking, add the icing sugar to a sieve and lightly dust the top of the casserole. Add the sauce, Dig in and enjoy!
