Stuffed French Toast With Gruyere Mustard Greens And Double Smoked Bacon Recipes

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH GRUYERE, MUSTARD GREENS AND DOUBLE-SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• Whisk together the creme fraiche, mustard and hot sauce in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Set a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, turning once, about 8 minutes. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, and then cut the slices into thirds.
• Add the red onions to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to caramelize, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the mustard greens, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until just starting to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, and then transfer the greens to a bowl.
• Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and half-and-half in a baking dish until smooth. Add the Parmesan and some salt and pepper; whisk until combined.
• Spread the bread slices with some of the creme fraiche mixture, and top with a slice of Gruyere. Top half of the slices with 3 or 4 pieces of bacon and a little mound of greens. Turn the remaining slices, cheese-side down, on top of the greens and press down to make sandwiches.
• Working in batches of two, soak the sandwiches in the egg mixture on both sides until just soaked, about 2 minutes per side.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (If you have a skillet large enough to cook all four sandwiches at once, add all of the oil and butter now.) Add two sandwiches to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and fry until crisp, golden and cooked through on both sides, about 5 minutes per side--cover the pan if needed to help the cheese melt, and adjust the heat to prevent the French toast from burning. Repeat with the remaining oil, butter and sandwiches.
• Halve the cooked sandwiches on the diagonal and serve hot.

MUSTARD AND GRUYERE BATONS

Steps:

• Unfold the sheet of puff pastry on a well-floured board, and roll it to an 11-by-13-inch rectangle with a floured rolling pin. (Diagonal strokes keep the pastry rectangular.) With a shorter end closest to you, brush the lower half of the pastry evenly with the mustard, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Brush the border of the pastry with the egg wash and fold the top half over the bottom half, lining up the edges. Place the pastry on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and chill for 15 minutes.
• Place the pastry on a board and trim the three irregular edges with a sharp knife. With the folded edge away from you, cut the pastry in 1-by-6-inch strips. You will have 10 to 12 batons. Spread the batons out on the sheet pan so they're not touching. Brush the tops lightly with the egg wash (don't allow the egg wash to drip down the sides) and sprinkle evenly with the Gruyere, Parmesan, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the batons for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Allow to cool on the pan for 3 minutes and serve warm.

FRENCH TOAST STUFFED WITH BACON, ONION TOMATO JAM WITH GRUYERE, AND A FRIED EGG

Steps:

• For the filling: Toss the bacon into a large saute pan with a few drops of olive oil. Bring the pan to medium heat and cook the bacon until brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onion and season with salt and the crushed red pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato, season with more salt, and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and mushy and most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and reseason if needed. Stir in the oregano and let cool.
• For the French toast: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• In a wide, flat dish, combine the eggs, milk, cayenne (if using), and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and homogeneous.
• Lay 4 slices of bread on a work surface. Using half the Gruyere, sprinkle each piece of bread lightly with cheese. Spoon a quarter of the bacon filling onto each piece of bread and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top each slice with another piece of bread and press to secure.
• Working in batches, soak each "toast" in the egg mixture for about 1 minute; flip and soak the other side.
• While the toasts are soaking, coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring the pan to medium heat.
• Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, cook the toasts for 2 to 3 minutes per side. The toasts should be golden brown, lovely, and crisp-YUM! Transfer the toasts to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
• For the fried eggs and assembly:
• Coat a large nonstick saute pan lightly with olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the eggs to the pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook them until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are warm and runny, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the toasts from the oven and top each with a perfectly fried egg. Sprinkle with chives if you like and serve immediately.

CREAM CHEESE-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat a cast-iron griddle over low heat; preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Combine the cream cheese, jam and slivered almonds in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
• Slice the challah into 2-inch-thick slices. With a pairing knife, make a 1/2-inch horizontal slit in the bottom crust of each slice to form a pocket.
• Using a butter knife, fill each slice with some of the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.
• Whisk together the eggs, almond extract, brown sugar and milk in a large baking dish. Dip the stuffed challah slices into the egg mixture, turning to fully coat each slice.
• Increase the temperature on the preheated griddle to medium heat; add the butter, let it melt, and then place the stuffed and dipped challah onto the griddle. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a baking rack, and hold in the oven to keep warm. Serve with slivered almonds and maple syrup.

DOUBLE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, creamer, and vanilla until fully combined. Pour the mixture onto a large plate with edges, such as a pie plate or baking dish. Dip the bread slices into the mixture, being sure to coat both sides evenly. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and pan-fry two slices of battered bread at a time until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. When the second side is golden brown, generously sprinkle cinnamon and sugar onto each piece and flip again. Let the sugar caramelize for 30 second to 1 minute; repeat process on the other side. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate; repeat process with remaining butter, battered bread and cinnamon sugar, two slices at a time.
• Transfer to plates and serve with maple syrup.