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Easy Balsamic Cranberry Vinaigrette

By 26 Comments

Cranberry Vinaigrette is a classic Holiday salad dressing and perfect for a pear and walnut salad. Made with canned cranberry sauce, this is an easy salad dressing to whip together.

Cranberry Vinaigrette with pear, walnut, blue cheese salad.

This cranberry vinaigrette is simply outstanding for a pear salad.It’s easy to make using canned cranberry sauce, which blends well with balsamic vinegar, orange juice and sugar.

The tartness of this cranberry vinaigrette enhances the flavors of sweet pears and bold tangy blue cheese. And walnuts chime in with a nice crunch.

Very festive for salad recipe for Fall, Winter and especially nice for the Holidays.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make cranberry vinaigrette pear walnut blue cheese salad.
  • Canned Cranberry Sauce
  • Red Onion
  • Blue Cheese
  • Pears
  • Orange Juice
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Walnuts
  • Olive oil
  • Sugar
  • Tender Greens, Red leafed lettuce or Bibb Lettuce are good choices here. Adding some thin strands of Frisee or Arugula will add a nice texture and appearance.

Ingredient Substitutions:

  • Pears: Any type of pear will work fine for this recipe. If you can find red pears, like Anjou pears, your salad will be even more an impressive presentation.
  • Onion: The deep color of red onion is attractive in this salad. If you find the flavor too strong, simply substitute yellow or sweet onion.
  • Walnuts: Substitute pecans for walnuts.
  • Sugar: Substitute an equal amount of honey.
  • Blue Cheese: Bleu cheese, or blue cheese is a category of cheese that contains the mold Penicillium. Gorgonzola is a specific type of blue cheese from Northern Italy. Both are used extensively in cooking and are very popular with wine and food. Gorgonzola has a unique taste and appearance. Both blue cheese or gorgonzola will work beautifully for this salad. And are a perfect cheese pairing for pears. Both are sharp and salty with a strong smell. Please refer to my recipe article for Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing, for more information about which type of blue cheese to use.

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

Mixing ingredients together in an orange bowl to make cranberry vinaigrette.
Using a whisk to blend ingredients together to make cranberry vinaigrette.
  • Step 1: Place cranberry sauce, olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, ginger and salt into a medium bowl.
  • Step 2: Using a whisk, blend the ingredients together until smooth and well mixed.

Pro Tip: Freeze Ginger. Keep that knob of ginger in the freezer. Whenever you need a small amount for any recipe, just remove it and use a zester or microplane zester to acquire the amount you need and then return the rest back to the freezer for future use. You don’t even need to peel the ginger. EASY and practical.

Pear, Walnut, Blue Cheese salad.
  • Step 3: Prepare Salad. Divide washed and dried chopped lettuce leaves evenly among 6 chilled salad plates. Thin slice the pears. Divide pear and onion evenly among leaves. Top each serving with about 1 generous Tablespoon blue cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts. Drizzle each serving with about 2 ½ Tablespoons of the cranberry vinaigrette. Freshly ground pepper is always welcome. Serve immediately.
Can This Cranberry Vinaigrette Be Made Ahead?

Making the vinaigrette ahead makes this an incredibly easy salad to assemble right before dinner. Prepare the vinaigrette as early as three days in advance. Store the vinaigrette in a Mason style jar and give the vinaigrette a good shake before serving.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead?

Prepare salad 30 minutes in advance. Prepare the greens, and slice the pears. Dip the pears into some orange or lemon juice so they won’t turn a dark color. Place the greens on salad plates, arrange the pears and sprinkle on the red onion and crumbled blue cheese. When ready to serve sprinkle with walnuts and dressing. You can also pass the dressing at the table. Don’t dress the salad in advance. The acid in the cranberry dressing will cause the greens to wilt.

Can I Use Leftover Homemade Cranberry Sauce For This Recipe?

Absolutely yes. Everyone has their own style of cranberry sauce, but adding the balsamic vinegar, oil and remaining ingredients will turn it into a lovely cranberry dressing.

Tips For Success

Choose a good quality, mild flavored olive oil to make this dressing. Save that big bottle of Costco olive oil for sauteeing.

Other Uses For Cranberry Vinaigrette

Even though a pear and walnut salad is a perfect partner for cranberry vinaigrette, switch things up:

  • Start with baby greens, add some sweet sliced apples and rings of sliced sweet onion. Sprinkle with some salty feta cheese.
  • Try Baby Kale and Granny Smith Apples sprinkled with sunflower seeds.
  • Drizzle over slices of toasted baguette topped with blue cheese.

Storage

This cranberry vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just give it a good shake before re-using. Store in a sealed container. Ball canning jars work well here.

What To Serve With This Salad

This cranberry vinaigrette brings with it a “special feel” starter salad for a special meal. Serve this as a starter for Oven Baked Pork Tenderloin, Prime Rib Roast, or even a special chicken dinner like Chicken Galliano.

This Easy homemade Cranberry Dressing made with canned cranberry sauce is a perfect special feel salad for Fall, Winter, Thanksgiving, Holidays and beyond.

More impressive side salad recipes

And don’t miss my comprehensive article on how to make the best Accompaniment Salad. Just say “no” to sad salads forever.

And if you’re looking for more side dish recipe ideas, don’t miss my Salad category. You’ll find lots of great recipe ideas. One of the more popular is this homemade Red Wine Vinegar Dressing. Salad greens never had it so good.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Cranberry Vinaigrette with pear, walnut, blue cheese salad.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Cranberry Vinaigrette Recipe

Cranberry Vinaigrette is a classic Holiday salad dressing and perfect for a pear and walnut salad. Made with canned cranberry sauce, this is an easy salad dressing to whip together.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Salads, Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Calories: 190kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • For the Cranberry Vinaigrette
  • ½ cup cranberry sauce canned
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • For The Salad
  • 1-2 heads Delicate lettuce Bibb, Butter, Red Leaf. About 12 cups.
  • 2 pears sliced
  • 1 cup red onion chopped
  • ½ cup blue cheese crumbled
  • 3 Tablespoons walnuts chopped

Instructions

  • To prepare the cranberry vinaigrette: Place cranberry sauce, olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, ginger and salt into a medium bowl. Use a whisk to blend the ingredients to a smooth texture.
  • To prepare the salad: Divide washed and dried chopped lettuce leaves evenly among 6 chilled salad plates.
  • Thin slice the pears. Divide pear and onion evenly among leaves. Top each serving with about 1 generous Tablespoon blue cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts. Drizzle each serving with about 2 ½ Tablespoons of the cranberry vinaigrette.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Tip: Toss the sliced pears with a bit of the orange juice to preserve color in the pear. Do this only if you’re making the salad about 30 minutes before serving.
Making the vinaigrette ahead makes this an incredibly easy salad to assemble right before dinner. Prepare the vinaigrette as early as three days in advance. Store the vinaigrette in a Mason style jar and give the vinaigrette a good shake before serving.
A good rule of thumb is serving 2 loose packed cups of greens per salad plate to serve 1 person.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1032IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg

Cranberry Vinaigrette … It’s Whats for Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Cowboy Chili With Kidney Beans

By 10 Comments

This Cowboy Chili is vibrantly red and earthy with kidney beans, New Mexico Chile Powder and tomato paste. A perfect balance of Southwestern flavors. Hearty and robust, keeping ingredients simple and pure gives this hearty recipe its unique layers of flavor.

Whether making chili with dried beans or canned beans, everyone loves a hearty bowl of beef chili …. This Cowboy Chili is about as hearty as you can get, but if you’re looking for lighter versions, don’t miss this one for Chicken and White Bean Chili.

Cowboy chili topped with sliced jalapenos and grated cheddar cheese

What Is Cowboy Chili?

Cowboy Chili is a hearty rustic style chili that differs from from a Tex-Mex Texas style chili, or a Texas style Chili con Carne, in that it contains beans. Beans were used for additional protein. An easy and filling Chuck Wagon staple to keep those Cowboys fed on their cattle drives.

  • The ingredients are straight forward and simple. And more than likely you’ll have the spices you need already in your pantry.
  • The recipe is simple to make. No fuss, and no special culinary skills needed.
  • You control the heat level, adding as much chile powder needed to suit your heat tolerance.
  • This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day. You’re going to love having leftovers.
  • This recipe can be made either stovetop or in a slow cooker. You’ll find instructions for both below.
  • Making chili with dried beans is more nutritious and more flavorful than using canned beans.

Back when I first started my food blog in 2009, there were just a handful of food bloggers, compared to the thousands today. We were a tight knit group, becoming virtual and many times in-person friends.

One of my very early blogging acquaintances was experienced and creative Chef Christo who lived in New York City, but was born and raised in New Mexico. He suddenly passed away in 2015 and the last recipe that appeared on his site was his Cowboy Chili Recipe.

It’s hands down the best dry bean chili recipes that I’ve ever had. Simply stated, it’s absolutely crazy delicious.

It’s everything you’d expect from a New Mexico chili recipe and from a chef who was an expert on the cuisine.

Let’s take a look.

Table of contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make cowboy chili.
  • Lean Ground Beef – 93% lean and 7% fat works good here. You want enough fat to give flavor, but not enough to make the dish greasy.
  • Kidney Beans – I highly recommend to make chili with dried beans. They’re healthier and more flavorful than canned beans. To keep the chili rustic and rich with color, I like to make chili with red beans.
  • Onion – Sweet or Yellow Onion, chopped.
  • Tomato Paste – Rich tomato paste may be my favorite pantry item of all times. It’s concentrated and rich in flavor adding nuance and body to any recipe.
  • Cumin – Another powerhouse must have spice for your Southwestern pantry, cumin has a slightly sweet warming flavor with a nutty element.
  • Chile Powder – I’m lucky to live close enough to New Mexico that I have the luxury of having an arsenal of New Mexico chile powders in my pantry. My favorite is Chimayo Chile Powder. It’s beautiful vibrant orange-red color and earthy flavor is a special treat. A must have seasoning for Cowboy Chili.
  • Garlic – Three cloves, minced.

Safety Tips For Kidney Beans

Red Kidney Beans and also Cannellini Beans (White Kidney Beans) can be toxic when cooked in the crock pot. They contain toxic levels of lectin which can cause stomach and gut illness. To eliminate this threat, you need to boil these beans for 30 minutes before adding them to a crock pot meal like this soup. Slow Cookers simply don’t reach a high enough boiling temperature to remove these toxins. You can use canned kidney beans and add them towards the end of cooking. Canned kidney beans have already been prepared correctly.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Ground Beef – Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken in place of beef. If using either of these leaner meats, this will call for a splash of oil for browning. Neutral flavored canola oil is a good choice.
  • Beans – Pinto beans are a good substitute for Kidney beans. However, you’ll lose that deep red appearance of the final dish. Black beans would also be a good choice. You can use canned kidney beans, but you’ll need to reduce the amount of liquid. See full instructions in the recipe card. Please stick with dry beans for chili, the end result will be superior.
  • Chile Powder – Don’t have New Mexico Chile Powder? Substitute Ancho Chile Powder or even cayenne. You can also order New Mexico Red Chile Powder from sources such as Made in New Mexico. Resist using Chili Seasoning, as that’s a blend of many spices used in other chili recipes.
  • Substitute one of the cups of beef broth with your favorite rich beer.

How To Make Cowboy Chili – It’s Easy

Browning ground beef with onions to make Cowboy Chili.
  1. Step 1: In a large fry pan, brown the ground beef, adding onions and garlic to season.
Adding New Mexico Chile Powder to make Cowboy Chili
  1. Step 2: Add the cumin and chile powder and stir until everything is coated. If it’s not spicy enough add more red chile powder. Cook, stirring for about two minutes.
Adding tomato paste, how to make cowboy chili.
  1. Step 3: Add the tomato paste and water, stirring and simmering for about 15 minutes. You’ll have a consistency that will remind you of Sloppy Joes.
  2. Step 4: You’re ready to add this mixture to the cooked kidney beans along with two cups of water. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes to marry the flavors and serve.

Pro Tip: If you do find that your particular can of tomato paste has an extra acidy tone, add a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of honey. It will tame that sharp flavor.

What Garnishes Go Well With Chili?

This chili recipe is so robust in flavor, we like to keep it simple with slices of fresh jalapeno peppers and some grated cheese. But here are some other ideas:

  • Corn Chips. Serve with a bowl of corn chips. We like to crush them with our hands over the chili once it’s served.
  • Sour Cream: A dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema work well here.
  • Onions: Even though this chili contains cooked onions, some fresh raw chopped sweet onions make a great topping.
  • Cilantro: Chopped cilantro is a popular topping for chili soups.
  • Chopped Avocado

What To Serve With Cowboy Chili

A bowl of Cowboy chili wouldn’t be complete without a side of Cornbread. They simply go hand in hand.

Cowboy Chili FAQ’s

What’s The Easiest Way To Cook Dried Kidney Beans?

I like to use my crockpot. However, if you do this, you need to boil them 30 minutes stovetop before using the crockpot. Then place the beans in the base of your crockpot with enough beef broth to cover the beans by a couple of inches, about 3 cups. Add a dollop of lard or bacon grease and the beans will be even creamier. Cook on low for five to six hours, or until beans are tender. The age of the bean will determine cooking time. The fresher the beans, the quicker they cook. Once they’re tender, don’t drain and add the ground beef mixture that you’ve made. Cook on low for two more hours. If you’ve never tried it, chili with dry beans is the way to go.

Can I Make Cowboy Chili In The Crock Pot?

That’s how I make it. Using the method above cook the kidney beans, once the beans are tender, add the cooked ground beef mixture (Steps 1 – 3 above) directly to the crockpot, without draining the beef broth from the beans. Add 2 cups of water and cook on low for two hours.

How To Thicken Chili Without Overcooking It

Pro Tip, How To Make Chili Thicker: If you feel like there’s a tad too much liquid once the chili has cooked, the best way to thicken chili is to add masa harina or corn meal. The flavor profiles of these two ingredients compliment the chili flavor. Just add a couple of tablespoons and stir very well. Simmer for about five more minutes. You can also add fine crushed corn chips. They’ll absorb some liquid. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher to smash some of the beans. Some recipes may advise to add flour or cornstarch by making a slurry with water. These two ingredients can compromise that famous chili flavor. Save those thickeners for beef or chicken gravy.

Make Ahead

As with any type of soup, stew or chili, it always tastes better the next day. This is a great recipe to make in advance, heat and serve the next day. Great for entertaining a hungry game-day crowd. Which also makes it ideal to travel for a pot-luck gathering. Just make ahead, store in the refrigerator, then heat stovetop in your big soup pot. Feeding a crowd: This is an easy recipe to double.

Storage and Reheating

  • Cowboy Chili will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 – 5 days sealed in an airtight container.
  • You can also freeze this chili and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to use zip-loc style freezer bags. Just fill the bag to about 2 inches to the top, squeeze the air out of it and then lay it flat in the freezer. This saves storage room rather than storing it in a square container. Be sure to use a sharpie and label the bag with contents and date.
  • To reheat, thaw the chili in the refrigerator overnight. Re-heat leftovers stovetop in a small saucepan, or in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl.
New Mexico style Cowboy Chili Recipe topped with cheese and jalapeno peppers

This Cowboy Chili Recipe is one of the easiest and tastiest chili recipes around. Easy to prepare and rich with Southwestern flavor, you must give it a try.

It’s perfect for game day, or comfort food on a cold night. And chili with kidney beans results in such a rich looking and tasting soup.

And if you love soups and chili’s as much as we do, don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of recipe ideas, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili with Pork.

More Beef Chili Recipes

You can’t live in our part of the country without having a stellar lineup of chili recipes. Each with a different flavor profile, and each for a different occasion. Check out hearty these chili recipes.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Cowboy chili garnished with grated cheese and jalapeno pepers.
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4.78 from 9 votes

Cowboy Chili Recipe

Vibrantly red and earthy with kidney beans, New Mexico Chile Powder and tomato paste, this chili is a perfect balance of Southwestern flavors. Hearty and robust, keeping ingredients simple and pure gives this Cowboy Chili Recipe its unique layers of flavor.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soaking Dried Beans12 hours
Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
Cuisine: Southwestern
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 10
Calories: 258kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried kidney beans Cooked
  • 3 cups Beef broth or water
  • 2 Tablespoons lard or bacon grease
  • 1 Pound lean ground beef 93% lean – 7% fat works well here
  • 1 large sweet onion chopped. About 1 – 1 ½ cups
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 Tablespoons cumin powder
  • 2 Tablespoons Chile Powder Preferrably New Mexico Chile Powder, And Chimayo Chile Powder even more preferred. Add more if your heat tolerance will allow.
  • 6 ounces tomato paste Good quality. Either Cento or Muir Glen.
  • 2 cups water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnishes listed below

Instructions

  • Soak dried beans overnight in water. Use enough water to cover the beans by an inch or two. The next morning, drain the beans and cover them with beef broth. If using your crockpot, boil them stove top 30 minutes before placing them in the crockpot. You can also make this in a Dutch Oven Stovetop. Add the lard or bacon grease to the beans and simmer covered until tender. Depending on the age of the beans, this could take a 2-3 hours in a Dutch oven, or 5 hours in a crockpot on low.
  • Once the beans are tender, start making the chili. Brown the meat in a large skillet. When meat is about half browned, add the onion and cook, stirring often until onion is starting to become soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
  • Add the cumin and chile powder to the ground beef and stir till everything is coated. If it's not spicy enough add more red chile powder. The original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons. I used 2 tablespoons. It all depends on the heat of the chile powder and your heat tolerance level.
  • Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. When all of this is a nice deep red color, then add the tomato paste and water.
  • Simmer gently for 15 minutes. You'll have a mixture that reminds you of Sloppy Joes. Add this mixture to the cooked beans (don't drain beef broth from the beans). Simmer for 15 minutes in a Dutch oven. If you're using your crockpot, add the beef mixture and the two cups water to the cooked beans and cook on low for 2 hours.
  • Serve with garnish and cornbread. Garnishes can include chopped avocado, sliced jalapeno peppers, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and cilantro.

Notes

Easiest Way To Cook Dried Kidney Beans: I like to use my crockpot. However, if you do this, you need to boil kidney beans 30 minutes stovetop before using the crockpot. Then place the beans in the base of your crockpot with enough beef broth to cover the beans by a couple of inches, about 3 cups. Add a dollop of lard or bacon grease and the beans will be even creamier. Cook on low for five to six hours, or until beans are tender. The age of the bean will determine cooking time. The fresher the beans, the quicker they cook. Once they’re tender, don’t drain and add the ground beef mixture that you’ve made. Cook on low for two more hours. If you’ve never tried it, chili with dry beans is the way to go.
If using canned beans for this recipe, substitute three 15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed. You’ll still need to add the beef broth for the liquid for this chili. but omit the water called for later in the recipe. When cooking dried beans in beef broth, the beans will soak up some of that broth. The canned beans won’t soak up the broth because they’re already cooked, so water may not be needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 473mg | Potassium: 1097mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 906IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 6mg

Cowboy Chili …. It’s What’s For Dinner

Easy Homemade Catalina Dressing Recipe

By 45 Comments

Homemade Catalina Dressing Recipe. This sweetheart dressing of the 1960’s comes to life in your own kitchen. It’s easy to make, ready in under 10 minutes, and bursting with layers of flavor that are totally irresistible. Catalina dressing is famous for being drizzled over that Fritos-Doritos Taco Salad.

Catalina dressing with tossed salad.

What is Catalina Dressing?

It’s is a sweet and tangy homemade salad dressing made with olive oil, ketchup, vinegar, dry mustard, chili powder and paprika. Catalina Dressing for Taco Salad is probably it’s most popular use, but can also be used as a marinade or even a dipping sauce.

Let’s take a look:

If you’ve never had homemade Catalina salad dressing, adjectives that come to mind to describe the flavor are pizzaz, tangy, sweet, thick, luscious, creamy (yet dairy free) and just plain exciting.

So much better than the bottled version, and we’ve been drizzling it all week over a big bowl of salad greens for a quick side dish.  

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The vibrant rich rusty color alone is alluring to the senses and a hint to it’s irresistible flavor.
  • It takes about 15 minutes to make. Once the ingredients are gathered, just whisk and serve.
  • It’s an easy make ahead dressing that you can pull out of the fridge when dinner is ready. And it will be ready to drizzle over any salad you toss together all week.
  • You’ve probably already got everything in your pantry to make this recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The line up of ingredients to make this recipe brings to light the reason the end flavor result is so exuberant.

Ingredients to make homemade Catalina dressing.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ketchup (Catsup) A condiment with a perfect flavor blend of tomatoes and sugar. This is the base ingredient to build the dressing. Use your favorite brand.
  • Olive Oil: Since we’re not making a delicate vinaigrette where the flavor of the olive is is important to the balance, just use a mild flavored extra virgin olive oil. I like to purchase the big bottle from Costco and this brand will work fine for this recipe. Save those expensive brands where a delicate fruity flavor will benefit lighter ingredients, like this simple classic Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Kosher Salt Kosher salt is preferred by chefs due to the fact that the salt is believed to penetrate a more pure salt flavor into food. Rather than sea salt, that tends to sit on top of the food. Save the sea salt for adjusting salt levels at the dinner table.
  • Grated Sweet Onion: Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the onion. Small holes will create too much moisture in the grated onion and basically become mush.
  • Chili Powder: A lively blend of spices that is usually used to season Chili Soup Recipes.
  • Paprika
  • Dried Yellow Mustard: Dried mustard is such a different flavor experience over prepared yellow mustard from a bottle. It brings a sharp bite and an overall additional dimension of excitement to the recipe.

These ingredients give this recipe its appealing vibrant color and rich flavor.

Ingredient Subs and Swaps

  • Vinegar: Cider vinegar is a all-around great vinegar for flavoring about anything where you need a “tang”. Red Wine Vinegar would be a good substitute here. And white vinegar, or Champagne Vinegar will also work well for this recipe.
  • Paprika: Regular paprika is called for in this recipe. But try Smoked paprika to give it a little bit different flavor profile.
  • Sugar: Substitute ⅓ cup of honey for the granulated sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you’ll need less. You can also use Agave Syrup.
  • Onion: Substitute ½ teaspoon onion powder for grated onion.
  • Oil: You can also use a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil.

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

Mixing ingredients to make homemade catalina dressing.
  1. Step 1: Choose a mixing bowl that’s large enough to easily whisk ingredients without them spilling out. Add all of the ingredients and using good old fashioned elbow grease, whisk vigorously until well blended.

Pro Tips:

This recipe calls for grated onion. Grated onion blends well and delivers more onion flavor than chopped onion. It also brings a smoother texture. It somewhat “juices” the onion which again, distributes more pure onion flavor. The easiest way to grate an onion is to grab your box grater. Use the large holes. The smaller holes will produce too much of a mushy watery texture. Cut the onion in half, remove the paper skins and start grating the flesh.

Questions You Might Have

What’s the difference between French and Catalina Dressing?

They are similar in flavor but usually there is a difference in color. French dressing tends to use less tomato products resulting in a lighter tone.

What’s A good Catalina Dressing Substitute?

French Dressing or Russian Dressing have similar color and flavor profiles.

Is Catalina Dressing The Same as Russian Dressing?

They are similar in profile salad dressings, however, Russian Dressing has chile sauce and mayo added. To make Russian dressing even spicier, you may find some horseradish added.

Why Is It Called Catalina Dressing?

I’ve read this dressing was invented in Catalonia Spain. I’ve also read that Kraft Corporation first came up with the recipe. Catalina was their version of French Dressing.

How To Serve

  • 1. Bacon Burgers. Top burgers with bacon slices and some Catalina Dressing.
    2. Brush over chicken wings and grill, basting with more dressing as you cook.
    3. Mix ¼ cup Catalina dressing, 4 ½ teaspoons of onion soup mix with 1 Tablespoon grape Jelly. Slather this mixture over boneless skinless chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 30-ish minutes or until internal temp of chicken reaches 165 – 170 degrees.
  • Make Catalina Meatballs: Place meatballs on a sheet pan and drizzle with Catalina dressing. Bake according to directions.
  • A friend told me she uses it as a dip for French Fries.

Storage

  • This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. I like to store it in a Ball canning jar.
  • Double the recipe and freeze some for later. This dressing will keep in the freezer for up to three months. I like to store it in a freezer safe zip lock style bag. Just stand the bag up, pour in the dressing and then carefully squeeze the air out. Why this method? You can lay it flat and save on freezer space. Just thaw in the refrigerator over night before using.

Recipe For Catalina Salad Dressing

Homemade catalina dressing in a mason jar with a tossed salad in the background.

So don’t hesitate, give this Catalina Dressing Recipe a try. Drizzle it over your favorite bowl of salad greens, or make this classic Taco Salad recipe. A salad that the whole family will love.

More Homemade Salad Dressings

Homemade salad dressing and vinaigrettes are routinely very easy and quick to make and always better than store bought. And more times than not, you’ll have the ingredients you need on hand right there in your pantry. Here are some of our favorites.

And if you’re looking for more salad dressing recipes and salads, don’t miss my Salad Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular salad dressing recipe on my site for Creamy Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Catalina dressing in a mason jar.
Print Recipe
4.72 from 7 votes

Homemade Catalina Dressing Recipe

Homemade Catalina Dressing Recipe. This sweetheart dressing of the 1960's comes to life in your own kitchen. It's easy to make, ready in under 10 minutes, and bursting with layers of flavor that are totally irresistible. This dressing is famous for being drizzled over that Old Fashioned Taco Salad.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salads, Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 210kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon grated onion or more to taste
  • ½ cup cider vinegar
  • ⅔ cup ketchup
  • 1 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

This recipe calls for grated onion. Grated onion blends well and delivers more onion flavor than chopped onion, it brings a smoother texture. It somewhat “juices” the onion which again, distributes more pure onion flavor. The easiest way to grate an onion is to grab your box grater. Use the large holes. The smaller holes will produce too much of a mushy watery texture. Cut the oven in half, remove the paper skins and start grating the flesh.
Ingredient Swaps
  • Vinegar: Apple Cider vinegar is a all-around great vinegar for flavoring about anything where you need a “tang”. Red Wine Vinegar would be a good substitute here. And white vinegar, or Champagne Vinegar will also work well for this recipe.
  • Sugar: Substitute ⅓ cup of honey for the granulated sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you’ll need less.
  • Onion: Substitute ½ teaspoon onion powder for grated onion.

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Catalina Dressing Recipe…It’s What’s for your favorite tossed salad.

This recipe was first published March of 2013, and updated December of 2021 with step by step instructions and better photos.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rotel

By 33 Comments

Creamy Chicken tortilla soup with Rotel, creamed corn and a healthy dollop of sour cream elevates a typical tortilla soup recipe. Predictable with Hatch chiles and all of your favorite Southwestern spices, this is a recipe perfect for cool weather and busy weeknights.

Top Tip: Purchasing quality spices to insure you’re serving a show stopping bowl of soup.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup topped with sour cream and sliced jalapenos

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

My secret to a great chicken tortilla soup is to give it a creamy spin. And I accomplish that with the use a can of undrained creamed corn. But the real creamy factor comes once the soup has been served by adding a healthy dollop of sour cream.

It’s Fast: Thanks to the grocery store and the convenience of canned goods, this stovetop chicken tortilla soup recipe, that’s an easy fix, worthy of a weeknight meal, as it’s on the table in about 45 minutes.

And once the chicken breast is cubed, it cooks quickly and you’re on your way to a soup that’s intoxicating with flavor.

The Chile Peppers: We’re lucky out here in the West, we have easy access to roasted Hatch Chile Peppers. I always have a supply of them in the freezer. If you can’t find them, or other varieties of roasted chile peppers in the freezer section of your grocery store, check the Mexican Food aisle for canned roasted chiles. Purchase mild, medium or hot to accommodate your heat tolerance.

Warming Spices: You’ll find a very good flavor balance of warming Southwestern spices.

This simple one-pot chicken tortilla soup is a perfect bowl to cozy up to. Let’s take a look.

Table of contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Creamed Corn: 1 small can
  • Chicken Broth: 2 small cans, around 30 ounces
  • Canned Chopped Tomatoes: Fire roasted tomatoes are always a good choice.
  • Rotel Tomatoes: 1 can. The can marked “original” is what I buy. It packs some heat, so start with ¼ can then add more to the level of your heat tolerance.
  • Sweet Onion: Chopped
  • Roasted Green Chile Peppers: Preferably Hatch Chiles.
  • Sour Cream
  • Neutral Oil: Such as canola.
  • Garlic: Chopped
  • Spices: Ground cumin, chile powder, chili seasoning and Mexican Oregano
  • Chicken: 1 ¼ pounds
  • Toppings: Avocado, purchased or homemade tortilla strips, crushed tortilla chips, sliced jalapeno peppers, cilantro, limes for squeezing.

Ingredient Subs and Swaps

  • You’ll find Chimayo Chile Powder listed in this recipe, which can be difficult to find. But please don’t let that stop you from making this tortilla soup. You can simply substitute Ancho Chile Powder, which is a milder version of red chile powder and if you’re after the heat of Chimayo, try a pinch of cayenne. Chipotle Chile powder will give it a smoky flavor.
  • I also include regular Chili Powder in this recipe. Chili powder with an “i” is a blend of spices and a mixture we commonly use to season Beef Chili Soup.
  • Please look for Mexican Oregano next time you’re in the store. And keep a supply on hand whenever you cooking up any Mexican themed recipe. Mexican oregano is different than traditional “regular” oregano as it has a grassy and citrus note, rather than the sweater and anise flavors of Mediterranean oregano. Its flavor profile is suited for Mexican food. Taste them side by side sometime. If you don’t have Mexican oregano, substitute Marjoram rather than Mediterranean oregano. Marjoram follows suite with the citrus flavor notes.
  • Use Chicken breasts, chicken thighs or both. And even meat from a Rotisserie chicken works great to makes this an even quicker fix.
  • Sour Cream: Ever try Mexican crema? You’ll find it in the Mexican produce section, its lighter in texture and carries a tangier flavor.

How to Make Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, It’s Easy

frying chicken with onions to make Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup.
  1. Step 1: Heat a Dutch oven or your favorite soup pot over medium high heat. Once the pot is hot, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering add the chopped onions. Cook the onions, stirring often until they start to soften. About 3 minutes. Add the pieces of chicken. Don’t stir for 2 minutes, allowing the chicken to obtain a sear on one side. Stir the chicken and let cook 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
Adding chicken broth and spices to chicken tortilla soup.
  1. Step 2: Turn down heat a bit, pour in chicken broth and add spices. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes to blend flavors.
Adding creamed corn and tomato products to chicken tortilla soup.
  1. Step 3: Add canned tomatoes, part of the can of Rotel tomatoes, creamed corn and chopped chile peppers. Give it a good stir and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. It’s ready to serve.

Riffs For Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe lends itself to improvisation, here are some ideas.

  • Add a can of black beans. rinsed and drained.
  • A sprinkle of sliced black olives would be a nice addition.
  • A little grated cheese never hurt anything, try cheddar or muenster. Muenster is a great creamy white melting cheese. A sprinkle of Cotija cheese is good here as is Monterey Jack Cheese.

Pro Tip

To add an additional layer of chicken flavor, use bone-in, skin-on breasts or thighs or both. The bones and skin are full of flavor. Just sautee the onions, add the garlic until fragrant, then add the chicken broth and spices. Place the chicken into the pan and cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken and once cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred the chicken from the bones. Return the chicken pieces to the soup and let simmer for a few minutes to reheat.

How Do You Store Chicken Tortilla Soup?

Refrigerator: For any leftovers, simply place in an air tight container (minus toppings) and store in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for 4 – 5 days.
Freezer: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat stovetop in a saucepan.

Can I Thicken This Soup?

This is a brothy Mexican Chicken Tortilla soup. If you’d like it a little thicker, add a tablespoon of masa harina. Masa harina is a traditional Mexican flour used to make tortillas. Just whisk in a tablespoon until blended.

3 bowls of Mexican Chicken tortilla soup topped with sour cream and jalapeno slices

If you love soups as much as we do, check out my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of delicious cozy comfort food recipes, including the most popular on my site of Hatch Green Chili.

More Southwestern Soup Recipes

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Creamy chicken tortilla soup with rotel tomatoes.
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rotel

Easy Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, perfect for a weeknight fiesta.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8
Calories: 978kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Neutral oil Such as canola, vegetable oil or avocado oil.
  • 1 ¼ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 large sweet onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • 30 ounces chicken stock homemade or canned broth. Use either two cans of chicken stock, or a 32 ounce box container.
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano or marjoram
  • ½ teaspoon Chimayo Chile powder A single belnd red chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili seasoning A blend of spices used to season chili soup
  • 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes undrained
  • ½ can Rotel tomatoes undrained.
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or more if needed
  • 14.74 ounce can creamed style corn undrained
  • 4 Hatch chile roasted, peeled and chopped. Or 1 -4 ounce can chopped green chiles.
  • Corn chips sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced avocado for topping

Instructions

  • Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add chopped onions and cook until starting to turn tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the pieces of chicken. Don't crowd the meat and don't stir for 2 minutes, allowing the chicken to obtain a sear on one side. Stir the chicken and let cook 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
  • Turn down heat a bit, pour in chicken broth and add spices. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add kosher salt to taste.
  • Add canned tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, creamed corn and chopped chile peppers. Give it a good stir and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if need, it's ready to serve.
  • Ladle soup into soup bowls, top with hand crushed corn chips or multi-colored tortilla strips. Stir in a dollop of sour cream, top with diced avocado and sprinkle with cilantro. A squeeze of lime will bring a pleasant bright flavor.

Notes

Tips For Success: 
  • Chimayo Chile Powder can be difficult to find, so please don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. You can simply substitute Ancho Chile Powder, which is a milder version of red chile powder and if you’re after the heat of Chimayo, add in a pinch of cayenne.
  • Use only a portion of the can of Rotel Tomatoes, or enough to satisfy your heat tolerance.If I use the whole can, it simply makes the soup too spicy for us.
  • We’re lucky out here in the West, we have easy access to Hatch Chile Peppers. If you can’t find them, or other varieties of roasted chile peppers in the freezer section of your grocery store, check the Mexican Food aisle for canned roasted chile.
  • I also like to purchase a rotisserie chicken to make this soup. It cuts down on the cooking time. Before you start the cooking process, remove and shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken. You’ll need about 4 cups. Since the chicken is already cooked, add it after you cook the onions and proceed with the recipe without searing the chicken. 

Nutrition

Calories: 978kcal | Carbohydrates: 205g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 4006mg | Potassium: 3160mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 1793IU | Vitamin C: 122mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 12mg

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe … It’s What’s For Dinner

This recipe was first published June of 2010 and republished December, 2021 with new photos and step by step instructions.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole With Maple Syrup Custard

By 41 Comments

With cream cheese and a maple syrup custard, this easy overnight blueberry French Toast Casserole is irresistible with flavor. And a beautiful choice for feeding a breakfast or brunch crowd. This is a make ahead recipe, prepared the night before, all you need to do is pop it in the oven the next morning.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast with an egg and blueberry syrup

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

For all you breakfast lovers, having a few easy make-ahead breakfast recipes to serve guests sure comes in handy. Some of my favorites are Overnight Make Ahead Breakfast Burrito Casserole, and Hatch Green Chile Quiche with Bacon.

Dig out that 9 x 13 casserole pan and cube a loaf of French bread for this easy French toast bake.

All you need are some eggs, blueberries and cream cheese, enough room in the refrigerator to let it set overnight. And a hot oven the next morning. Once baked you’ve got a delicious indulgent breakfast.

Why You’re Going To Love This Overnight Blueberry French Toast

  • It’s made with chunks of crusty French Bread to soak up an easy egg-y maple syrup custard.
  • It’s full of sweet fresh blueberries.
  • It’s a make ahead overnight blueberry french toast, which means you have time to spend with guests or family while it bakes the next morning.
  • It makes enough to feed the entire family … and then some.
  • This recipe is ridiculously easy to prep and prepare.
  • Cutting French bread into cubes makes this an easier option than using full slices of bread.
  • Soft and fluffy on the inside with a little crunch-y crust on the top = texture perfect.
  • With 2 bars of cream cheese, this casserole is creamy decadent treat. You’ll savor every bite.
  • This French toast is drizzled with homemade blueberry syrup. It’s incredible. And easy to make.
  • No matter what your ability level is in the kitchen, this is a recipe that is easy to make and will impress your guests.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make blueberry french toast casserole
  • One dozen large eggs.
  • Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup please.
  • Milk: Full fat or 2%
  • Cream Cheese: 2 8-ounce blocks.
  • Blueberries: Fresh is best.
  • French Bread

Step by Step Instructions

French bread and blueberries in a 9 x 13 casserole
  1. Step 1: Cut bread into chunks and add half to a greased 9 x 13 x 2 casserole dish. Sprinkle in the blueberries and cubed cream cheese.
Cubed french bread, blueberries and cream cheese in a casserole dish.
  1. Step 2: Top with the remaining half of the French bread cubes.
Custard with eggs, milk, vanilla and maple syrup
  1. Step 3: Make the maple syrup custard: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, maple syrup and milk. Using a whisk, mix until smooth.
Pouring maple syrup over make ahead blueberry french toast casserole.
  1. Step 4: Pour the maple syrup custard over the bread, cream cheese and blueberries. It’s ready to cover with foil and refrigerate over night.
Baked blueberry french toast casserole in a 9 x 13 casserole pan.
  1. Step 5: The next morning, bake according to directions. While the casserole is baking, make the easy homemade blueberry syrup.

Ingredients to Make Homemade Blueberry Syrup

Ingredients to make homemade blueberry syrup.
  • Fresh Blueberries
  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Butter
  • Water

To make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and 1 cup water over medium high heat. Cook stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until most berries burst. Add butter and stir until butter is melted.

You may prepare this syrup up to 1 day in advance, refrigerate and gently reheat in the microwave before serving.

Pro Tips:

  • Use day-old bread. If the bread is too fresh (soft), the casserole may be a little mushy in texture.
  • To make easy work of cutting cream cheese into cubes, wait until the last minute to remove it from the refrigerator. And even a 15 minute rest in the freezer will make it easier to cube.
  • Add a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest to the Blueberry syrup. It will brighten the flavor.
  • Serve both the homemade blueberry syrup and maple syrup for a choice for guests to drizzle over the casserole.

FAQs

What type of bread is best for French Toast?

I like a crusty french bread baguette. Buy the bread a day or two in advance so the bread isn’t too soft. In France, French bread is usually served daily in the household. To avoid throwing out bread, the French would make French toast. Brioche or challah bread are a very popular choice for French toast. They are sturdy enough for the custard. Don’t use a soft white bread such as a commercially packaged and sliced white bread.

Why is my French toast casserole soggy?

The bread you used was probably not old enough. Again, its best to use a stale bread that’s had a day or two to dry out. A dryer bread will hold the custard better.

Can I use frozen blueberries for this recipe?

Yes. Blueberries are a delicate fruit. You can add them frozen or thawed.

How To Store and Freeze

  • Place any left over casserole in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
  • This blueberry French toast will also freeze well. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container. Freeze for up to two months. As with any freezer foods, let the casserole thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the casserole in a 300 degree oven and let it gently reheat. A microwave also works to reheat individual servings. I really like using a 50% power setting on the microwave to reheat anything.

 Recipe for Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup Custard

Blueberry french toast bake with bacon and a fried egg

This easy and impressive overnight blueberry French toast is about to make you very popular and you’ll want to make it over and over again.

This sweet and savory casserole is a natural flavor combo alongside salty bacon or better yet, Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage.

More Breakfast Recipes You May Enjoy

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast with an egg and blueberry syrup
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup Custard

This easy blueberry overnight French toast bake is a beautiful choice for feeding a breakfast or brunch crowd. Prepared the night before, all you need to do the next morning is pop it in the oven to bake.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 451kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces French bread Cut into 1-inch cube.
  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 cups fresh blueberries rinsed and drained, divided. You'll need one cup to make homemade blueberry syrup.
  • 12 large eggs
  • ⅓ Cup maple syrup
  • 2 Cup milk whole fat works best
  • For Homemade Blueberry Syrup
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 Cup fresh blueberries rinsed and drained
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest optional, to brighten flavor

Instructions

  • Grease 13 x 9 baking pan. Place half the bread cubes evenly in prepared pan.
  • Scatter cream cheese cubes over bread and sprinkle with 2 cups blueberries. Arrange remaining bread cubes over blueberries.
  • Make the custard: In a large bowl combine eggs, maple syrup, and milk. Whisk to blend. Pour evenly over the bread, blueberry, cream cheese mixture in the casserole pan.
  • Cover with foil and chill overnight.
  • To Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 30 minutes longer. Or until puffed and golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and let set about 10 minutes before serving.
  • To Make Syrup: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and water over medium high heat. Cook stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened.
  • Stir in 1 cup blueberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until most berries burst. Add butter and lemon juice or zest (if using) and stir until butter is melted. You may prepare this up to 1 day in advance, refrigerate and gently reheat. Transfer to serving bowl.
  • Plate French Toast on individual serving plates and offer with both blueberry and maple syrups. Serving this with bacon and sausage makes a complimentary meal.

Notes

Tips For Success: 
  • Use day-old bread. If the bread is too fresh (soft), the casserole may be a little mushy in texture.
  • To make easy work of cutting cream cheese into cubes, wait until the last minute to remove it from the refrigerator. And even a 15 minute rest in the freezer will make it easier to cube.
  • Add a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest to the Blueberry syrup. It will brighten the flavor.
  • Serve both the homemade blueberry syrup and maple syrup for a choice for guests to drizzle over the casserole.
How To Store and Freeze: 
  • Place any left over casserole in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
  • This blueberry French toast will also freeze well. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container. Freeze for up to two months. As with any freezer foods, let the casserole thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the casserole in a 300 degree oven and let it gently reheat. A microwave also works to reheat individual servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 3mg

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole … It’s Whats For A Holiday Breakfast