#must-try

Baked Lemon Raspberry French Toast

This wonderful French toast casserole from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate is a delicious alternative to cinnamon-infused French toast, with fresh lemon flavor that’s perfect for a springtime brunch. The best part? You can make it ahead of time and just pop it into the oven in the morning!

Ahhh brunch. Just seeing the word brings images of bottomless cups of coffee, cinnamon rolls, quiches and perhaps a mimosa or two to my mind. There’s no better way, in my opinion, to start a weekend day than with these things.  

While I definitely appreciate the fun and convenience of going out for brunch, sometimes I really don’t want to get out of my PJs and leave the house on Sunday morning. Plus, brunch is usually about the same time as my son’s first nap, which is really inconvenient! But really, it’s the whole getting out of my pajamas thing that is the biggest barrier to me going out for brunch.  

So instead, I like to cook something special for my husband and I for weekend brunch. What better way to make up for our boring weekday breakfasts than with a fun brunch?  

I love French toast casseroles for so many reasons. One, because it’s almost like eating dessert for breakfast. French toast casseroles are super similar to one of my favorite desserts, bread pudding, just with less sugar, but we can make up for that with powdered sugar and maple syrup, right?  

I also love them because they can be made the night before, leaving minimal prep the morning of. This one is no different. All you need to do once you get out of bed is let it sit out for about 30 minutes, then pop it in the oven for 45 minutes, and you are the queen (or king!) of brunch. No getting dressed necessary.  

This Lemon Raspberry French Toast Casserole is THE perfect springtime brunch dish – especially for Easter! The bright flavors of the lemon and raspberries are a fun change from the typical cinnamon notes in French toast. I topped ours with powdered sugar but I think it would also be great with a light drizzle of maple syrup.  

Baked Lemon Raspberry French Toast

8 servings Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration time

Ingredients

1 pound loaf French bread, cut into cubes

2 cups fresh raspberries, divided

3½ cups milk

6 eggs

⅓ cup pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional but delicious)

Zest from 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Grease 9x13” baking dish with cooking spray. 

Place half of the cubed bread in the bottom of the baking dish, top with half of the raspberries, then repeat with remaining bread and raspberries. 

In a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup, extracts, zest and lemon juice.

Pour mixture over bread and raspberries.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

On the morning of, remove from refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 F.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through. Cover with foil for the last 10-15 minutes to prevent the top from burning. 

Gin & Tonic Ice Pops

These refreshing ice pops only take three ingredients to make. A fun adults-only treat for your next barbecue!

Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus freezing time

Ingredients (per ice pop)

2 lime slices 1 ounce gin 2 ounces tonic water ½ ounce fresh lime juice

Directions

Place two lime slices in each ice pop mold.

L&B Dill Pickle Hot Sauce

Looking to bring a bit more flair to your next picnic or party? Try our new L&B Dill Pickle Hot Sauce! We combined tangy dill pickle with kicky jalapeño peppers and just a hint of garlic to create a truly unique, flavorful hot sauce that can be used just about anywhere. 

Try it sprinkled on deviled eggs, as a topping on hot dogs, burgers and fried chicken or add a dash to your Bloody Mary. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your favorite summer fare. Mix it into your condiment rotation for your next summer barbecue! 

Make it at home: Beer Cheese Soup

Now you can make this customer favorite at home! Garnish with popcorn, croutons, minced parsley, chives, minced green onion or crumbled crisp bacon.

6 servings Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup minced onion

½ cup butter

⅔ cup flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

10 ½ ounces chicken broth

4 cups milk

12 ounces beer (use anything you would drink)

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

In large pot on medium heat, cook onion in butter until soft. 

Gradually blend in flour, stirring constantly.

Add seasonings and stir to incorporate.

Gradually stir in broth, milk and beer. 

Cook over medium heat; stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer and continue stirring occasionally until soup thickens.

For a smooth and creamy soup, blend with an immersion blender (or blend in batches in a regular blender).

Add cheese and stir until melted and creamy. 

Must Try CRISPY ROASTED POTATOES

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

This crispy potato side dish is a nice alternative to cheesy potato casseroles – and it looks beautiful on the table, too. Tip: The thinner the potatoes are cut, the crispier they’ll become in the oven.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 pounds russet potatoes

4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise

Coarse salt

½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

8 sprigs thyme

Directions

Heat oven to 375 F.

In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a 9-inch round baking dish or cast iron skillet.

With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

Arrange potato slices vertically in the baking dish. Wedge sliced shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Add thyme sprigs and brush with remaining butter mixture.

Brown Sugar Bacon-Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños

Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate shares the recipe for this perfect summer appetizer.

A few weeks ago some good friends had us over for lunch and seriously blew us away with the food they cooked. Not only did they grill out brats but treated us to stuffed portabellas, quinoa salad, strawberry pie and (my favorite part!) bacon wrapped and cream cheese stuffed jalapeños. I had no idea I would like them as much as I did. In fact, I’m pretty sure I went back for thirds if not fourths. Are fourths even a thing?  

I insisted they hand over the recipe for them so I could make them immediately. While the original recipe was simply jalapeños, cream cheese and bacon, I thought that adding a brown sugar and chili powder mixture to roll them in before putting them on the grill had to be a good idea. Um, yes. Fabulous idea, if I do say so.  

These Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños are the perfect summer appetizer! They can absolutely be prepped ahead of time, and when the time comes to chill out on the patio with a beverage of choice in hand, you just pop them on the grill.  

I used a grill pan, which worked really well for getting them a little charred (the way I like it), but you could just put them on some foil on the grill or in the oven if you don’t have a grill pan or don’t want them crispy. Also, these cooked a lot faster than I had anticipated – only 12 minutes. This obviously depends on the temperature of your grill, but I’d say only expect to have to cook them 12-15 minutes if your grill is on medium to medium-high.  

Another important note: You can kind of control the spice by leaving the white part that surrounds the seeds, making it spicier, or cutting that part out. I tried to cut out as much as possible and mine were still quite spicy. Consider yourself warned.  

One last thing. This recipe can easily be adapted as far as quantity. If you need more or less, just adjust the number of jalapeños and bacon you use. Just don’t count on stopping yourself at one ... it’s simply not possible!  

Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños

12 servings Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

6 jalapeños, halved lengthwise and deseeded

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

6 slices of bacon, uncooked and cut in half

⅓ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

Heat grill or grill pan to medium/medium-high. If baking, heat broiler to high.

Cut jalapeños lengthwise and remove white part and seeds.  

Spread approximately 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese inside each jalapeño half. This will depend on how big your jalapeños are.  

Wrap each jalapeño half with half a slice of bacon.  

Combine brown sugar and chili powder in a shallow bowl.

Roll each bacon wrapped jalapeno in the brown sugar mixture, pressing it on so it will stick, then secure bacon with a toothpick. (I did that at this point because doing it sooner would have made it difficult to roll in the brown sugar.)

Place each jalapeño on grill or grill pan for 12-15 minutes, until bacon is cooked through.

If baking, broil for 10-20 minutes. Watch them closely, because all ovens heats differently.

Enjoy!

Key Lime Margaritas

Key limes, more aromatic than regular limes and known for their distinctive tart juice, add a punch of flavor to this cocktail. This recipe also calls for reposado tequila, which is aged in wooden barrels, where it develops a mellower flavor and amber color. A regular tequila would work fine as well.

Makes 4 drinks Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 Key lime, quartered (optional)

Kosher salt for rims of glasses (optional)

¾ cup Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur

½ cup reposado tequila

½ cup fresh Key lime juice

2 teaspoons superfine granulated sugar (optional)

Directions

Run a lime wedge (if using) around rim of each of 4 (6-to 8-ounce) glasses. Put salt (if using) on a small plate and dip glasses in salt to lightly coat rims.

Blend liqueur, tequila, juice and sugar (if using) in a blender until combined. Serve over ice (in coated glasses).

Must-try HOT TODDY

Hot Toddy

This traditional cocktail is a great way to warm up on a chilly, blustery night. Made with honey and lemon, it’s also thought to help soothe and relieve cold symptoms.

Ingredients

8 ounces hot water

1 bag herbal tea

1 tablespoon honey

1 ounce bourbon whiskey

1 lemon wedge

Directions

Pour hot water into a mug and steep tea for 2-3 minutes.

Remove tea bag and add honey, stirring to dissolve.