Reel Nice Productions

Croissant French Toast

5 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 croissants, split horizontally
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Pure maple syrup, warmed

Whisk eggs, half-and-half, sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and nutmeg in a large bowl to blend. Add croissants to egg mixture; turn to coat evenly on both sides.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. Brush with melted butter. Lift croissants from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Cook croissants on griddle until browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve croissants with warmed maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple French Toast

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
12 slices French bread
4 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
5 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
whipped cream (optional)

Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly, stir constantly.

Spray a 9 x 13 glass pyrex baking dish with cooking spray and pour in the butter sugar mixture.

Sprinkle 1 cup chopped pecans into the dish.
Place one layer sliced French bread on syrup and pecans. Top each slice of bread with sliced apples.

Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well combined, then pour half the mixture over the first layer of bread.
Place second layer of sliced French Bread on top of apples and cover with remaining egg and milk mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and bake uncovered for 60-70 minutes at 350 degrees.

Allow it to cool slightly before serving then top each portion with fresh whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Ultimate Man’s Cheesy Bean Dip

1 Can Refried Beans
1 Small Pkg Velveeta, Cut 1 inch into cubes
¾ Cup Salsa

Combine the ingredients in a pyrex (microwaveable) glass bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and heat on high for 3-5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. Carefully remove the plastic and stir to combine.
Recover with wrap and repeat the process until the cheese is completely melted and everything is well combined.

Serve hot with a bag of your favorite nacho chips.

Enjoy!

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Lemon and Bacon

2 lb’s Brussel sprouts, stems trimmed and cut in half
½ lb thick cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of three lemons
1 Tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add in the bacon and sauté until crispy then remove it to a plate with paper towel to drain off the grease. Drain the grease from the pan and wipe it clean with a paper towel then return it to the heat.

Reduce the heat to medium low and add olive oil and Brussels sprouts to the pan.

When the Brussels sprouts are caramelized and tender, add the garlic and bacon and cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic. Turn off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon zest and butter and toss to finish.
Serve Hot.

Enjoy!

Leftover Candy Cookie Bars

1 ½ cups Chocolate Candies, Chopped
1 ½ cups Packed Brown Sugar
1 Stick Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 ¾ cups Flour
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 13x9 pan with butter or cooking spray.

Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and gradually add it into the wet ingredients. Mix until well blended. Stir in the chopped candies with a spoon or by hand.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly touched.

Cool completely, cut into bars and serve.

Enjoy!

“Make Your Own” Cheesy Pasta Bake

1 Box of your favorite Pasta, cooked and drained or a ½ box of 2 kinds (Shells, Fusili, Rigatoni, Rotini, Penne, Angel Hail, Spaghetti, Etc…
1 Lb of your favorite Meat, Cooked ( Chicken, Pork loin, Hamburg, Ham, Etc…
½ Lb of your favorite accompanying meat, cooked (Bacon, Sausage, Peperoni Etc…

2 or More of any of the following vegetables, cut into bite size pieces
Broccoli
Bell Pepper
Sweet Onion
Peas
Spinach
Sun-dried Tomato
Fresh Tomatoes
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Basil
Fresh Thyme

1 Can “Cream of” Soup, chicken, mushroom, broccoli, celery, Etc…
½ lb Shredded Cheddar Cheese, or any blend you like
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

The idea behind this recipe is for everyone to get involved in creating their own dinner using a common group of ingredients.
I have a basic list of ingredients to get you started but add in any of your personal favorites that are not listed here.

You will need 4 serving size bowls that are oven safe. 1 Per person.

Each person selects the type of pasta, meat, vegetables and herbs for their bowl.
Add in about ¼ cup of the “cream of “ soup and a bit of shredded cheese and stir till well combined with the pasta and other ingredients.
Top with a little more cheddar and parmesan and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Allow the bowls to cool slightly then serve and enjoy!

Smothered Pan Gravy Pork Chops

4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a tablespoon of the seasoned flour to the pan drippings.

Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the cream and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Upside-Down Apple Pie

10 Granny Smith Apples (or any crunchy apple), peeled and cut into 1/4” slices
1 pastry pie crust
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1Tbsp Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, Toss together cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, flour and apples. In a 9” skillet over medium heat, melt butter with brown sugar.

Once the sugar is dissolved arrange apple slices in the pan starting at the outside and working toward the inside in a flower-type pattern. Use any extra apple slices to fill in any gaps. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until apples are slightly tender.

Remove the pan from the heat and place the pie crust over the top of the pan. Place pie in preheated oven and bake about 20 minutes, or until the crust is lightly brown. Remove pie from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Once the pie is cooled, place a plate large enough to cover the pan over the top of the pan and flip the pie onto the plate. Slowly remove the pan from the pie. Cut and serve with a dollup of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Grilled Fruit Fondue

1 Fresh Pineapple, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 Bananas, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Pint Strawberries, Tops removed and berries halved if they are very large
3 Peaches, Pit removed and cut into bite size chunks
1 Pound Cake, Cut into 1 inch chunks

Chocolate Fondue Sauce:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup unsalted butter, divided
1 cup sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
2 tbsp hazelnut liqueur
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Using wooden skewers alternate the different fruits on the skewers. Place the pound cake on its own skewers separate from the fruit.
Preheat the grill to medium.

Place the chocolate chips in a stainless bowl.
In a sauce pan over medium heat dissolve the sugar in the evaporated milk and ¼ cup of butter. Once the sugar is dissolved pour the liquid over the chocolate and add in the vanilla and hazelnut liquor. Stir together until the chocolate is melted and pour back into the sauce pan. Keep the sauce pan over the lowest heat setting or on the off side of the grill until ready to serve.

Lightly brush the pound cake kabobs with melted butter and place all the kabobs on the grill. Carefully turn the kabobs when they are lightly browned and remove them to a plate when they are browned on all sides.

Place the chocolate sauce pan in the middle of the table on a heat proof trivet and serve the kabobs family style using extra kabob skewers to dip the fruit.

Enjoy!

Campfire Banana Splits

6 large bananas, unpeeled, stems removed
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (10.5 ounce) package miniature marshmallows

Preheat the grill on high heat.
Spray 6 sheets of aluminum foil, large enough to wrap bananas, with cooking spray.
Slice one side of the peel of the banana from stem to bottom, while also slicing the banana inside lengthwise.
Carefully open the banana wide enough to place the chocolate chips and marshmallows inside the banana. Stuff with as much of the chocolate chips and marshmallows as desired.
Wrap the bananas with the aluminum foil and place on the grill. Leave in long enough to melt the chips and the marshmallows, about 5 minutes. Unwrap bananas, open the peels wide, and eat with a spoon or serve over ice cream.

Enjoy!