1. I think real apples would be much better than the canned pie filling, especially this time of year. How would you prepare them & how many do you think I would need? (My guess was in a saucepan with a little water, sugar & cinnamon until soft).

2. I feel like I want to bring at least one other thing with it. Perhaps a simple fruit salad? Any other suggestions? Thanks

Apple French Toast Breakfast Lasagna (serves 6)

1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
12 slices french toast (we used cinnamon swirl bread instead)
8 oz. thinly sliced ham
up to 2 cups shredded cheddar
1 20 oz. can apple lie filling
1 cup granola (with raisins if desired)

1. Combine sour cream & brown sugar; chill or set aside.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees & grease a 9x13" pan.
3. Place 6 slices of bread in pan; covering bottom.
4. Layer ham, cheddar & remaining bread.
5. Spread apple pie filling over top; sprinkle with granola.
6. Bake for 25 min. serve with sour cream mixture.

(This can be assembled the night before & refrigerated until ready to heat.)

A couple of the local stores here have a pretty good cinnamon swirl bread. It's quite sweet on its own so I wouldn't think it would need the brown sugar sauce on top. Other ideas: I'd also consider a variation, mixing some fresh or frozen berries either as part or in place of the apples. Bacon and/or sausage would mix in there well too, in place of or in addition to the ham depending on your tastes and supplies. (And grease tolerance!)

A good hot cup of coffee with this and it should be a tasty breakfast.

I think you have 2 recipes going here....one would be a cheese strata with ham and cheese. I would chop the ham when making so it would be easier to serve.
12 slices french bread
chopped ham and shredded cheddar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
mustard
1 Tsp worchestershire.
Layer 6 slices bread in buttered casserole
spread mustard on the bread and top with ham and cheese
Add top slices of bread
Whisk eggs and milk and worchestershire and pour over bread in the casserole....allow to stand at least an hour so the milk and egg is absorbed....or over night in the refrigerator.
Top with a little more grated cheese and bake 375 for about 45 minutes if room temperature, or 1 hour if cold from the refrigerator.

Or....make a casserole as above, without the ham and mustard. Place sauteed apple rings on the cheese and top with another slice of bread. Pour over the egg and milk mixture, let stand until milk is absorbed, add another layer of apple rings and either top with more cheese or granola and bake as above.

Here is a link to breakfast casseroles from not too long ago. Many good ideas there.

Whether or not I left out the sugar would depend on the variety and sweetness of the apples, some can be extremely tart.

If I were doing more than one I wouldn't hesitate to leave out the ham and cheese and make a sweet one and a savory one, just cut into smaller pieces.

I think you already have enough fruit, you don't need a fruit salad, and you already have meat, eggs, bread. I think it's a meal, unless you added potatoes.

Sorry, I just like potatoes, LOL.

Annie

I guess what I am saying is that there are lots better breakfast casseroles....read the thread Barnmom posted. Lots of T and T recipes.
Linda c

I still think the original one sounds fine, more like grilled ham and cheese with a sweet component than french toast but still good. I know lots of people who put cheese with apple pie or fruit glazes on ham, so I don't think it's an unusual combination.

It's a lot better than bagels and Dunkin' Donuts, that's for sure!

Annie

I would make a fritatta in a 9 by 11 dish and also a sweet bread, or rolls or coffee cake.
To make a fritatta for a group, I make a mix of either steamed or sauteed vegetables and grated chedder cheese and fill my dish, then mix up milk and eggs seasoned with worchestershire sauce, pour over the veggies and bake at 350 for about 45 to 55 minutes until set and browned. Then...for a ladies brunch, I refrigerate it and reheat, covered with foil, at 325 for about 30 minutes.
For a 9 by 11 dish you will need about 6 cups of cooked veggies...perhaps chopped sauteed onion, half a red pepper chopped and sauteed, half a pound of sliced mushrooms sauteed until they give up their moisture, add perhaps some cooked carrot buttons, chopped cooked broccoli, or cauliflower....and you could also add about a cup of finely chopped ham...or bacon...or shrimp or chicken. Add 8 oz of grated sharp cheddar....toss all together, add some chopped parsley, 1/4 cup if fresh, 2 T. if dried put into the casserole and add 3 cups of milk, mixed with 7 beaten eggs and 2 tsps of worchestershire.
Bake 375 for about an hour.
That will cut 20 lady-like servings. Then add another 9 by 11 dish of a coffee cake or sticky rolls....and they will love it!

The OP chose the recipe because it had protein, fruit and starch all in one dish, so I'm assuming she wants one dish to prepare.

So, given that criteria, I don't think the first recipe is unusual, but I do agree that a trial run would probably be a good idea, since it's an untried recipe.

Annie

But if you choose to do a separate apple dish along with a savory one, this one is quite good and easy.

Apple Walnut Cobbler
Source BH&G January 1997

5 c tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 c chopped walnuts
3/4 c sugar, divided
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/3 c butter or margarine, melted
Half & Half or light cream (Optional)

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish. Spread the apples in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 c walnuts, 1/4 c sugar and the cinnamon. In medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 c sugar and baking powder.

In small bowl, combine the egg, milk and melted butter. Stir egg mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Pour evenly over the apples, sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm, cut into squares. If desired, serve with half & half or cream.
9 servings

Linda

Apple Coffee Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1-3/4 to 2 cups chopped peeled tart apples

TOPPING:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, mixing well after each addition. Stir in apples. Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes.

For topping, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool or serve warm.

Most of all, have fun!

Annie

Don't know if this could ba called a coffee cake....but it could be and it uses lots of apples. And you can skip the "gravy" if you want it to be more coffee cake like...
Apple Cake

4 cups chopped apples
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisins ( I use chopped other dried fruit like dried peaches or apricots)
Mix and let sit for about an hour ( less is OK)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsps baking soda ( I like 3/4 tsps soda and 3/4 tsps BP)
1/2 tsps salt
1T cinnamon 1/4tsp nutmeg
Mix dry ingredients
2 eggs
3/4 cups veggie oil
1 tsp vanilla
beat together
1 cup chopped pecans if desired.
Add the oil and eggs to the apples and sugar and dried fruit. Stir in the dry mixture and add nuts if desires.
Pour into greased 9 by 13 pan and bake 350 until done�..40 to 50 minutes.
Serve with cake gravy!

Cake Gravy
Mix 1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup evap milk or half and half
1 tsp vanilla�.
Mix all and cook all in a sauce pan for about 5 minutes.
Serve warm over the cake.

This recipe is really Sue's (cookingrvc), and Doucanoe made it for breakfast at Peppi's during a forum visit. it was very good, so thanks to Sue!

Hash Brown Quiche

3c frozen hash browns (Southern Style)
1 small onion, diced
1/3 c butter, melted
1 cooked ham steak, diced
8oz swiss cheese, grated
8oz muenster cheese, grated
2-1/4c milk or cream
6 eggs
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix together hash browns and onion
Press into 9x13 pan . Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 25-35 minutes until golden

Reduce oven temperature to 325F. Toss together ham and cheeses, place into hot crust. Mix milk, eggs and salt and pour into crust. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Annie

OATMEAL CAKE Essie Martin/Barbara Zacheis

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup oatmeal -- don't know which kind, but I used one-minute
1 stick oleo (I used butter)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Put oatmeal and oleo in bowl, pour water over, let stand 20 min. Add
eggs
and beat well. Add remaining ingredients and beat. Bake at 350 for 35
minutes in greased 8x11 glass pan.

Broiled Topping
Mix 6 Tblsp. soft butter
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Spread on warm (or not so warm) cake and brown under broiler.
____________________________________________________________
Hard boiled eggs in a white sauce over toast or biscuits.
Preparation Instructions

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove the pan from heat. Cover the pan and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Then remove eggs from the hot water, run cold water over them to cool then. Then peel and chop the eggs.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add flour until it forms into a ball. Slowly add the milk and stir until the sauce comes to a boil. Stir in the salt and pepper to flavor to your liking. Add the chopped hard boiled eggs into the sauce; stir until the eggs are heated.

Serve over toast or biscuits.
Ingredients

* 8 whole Eggs
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
* 2 cups Whole Milk
* Salt And Pepper, to taste

Add some yogurt with a drizzle of honey and you're all set for protein too. (grin)

Annie

How far is the church from your home and do they have kitchen facilities like an oven and a refrigerator so you don't have to transport hot food? That would be far more convenient.

Annie

As for the frittata, that's LindaC's "recipe", so I'm not messing with it, I'm sure I'd be wrong!

Annie

For the casserole, butter your 8 by 11 dish very well, and pack in the frozen and well drained shredded potatoes....grate a little onion over the top...not a lot just about 2 teaspoons....enough to flavor it. Not sure what size the "packages" of hash browns are....but make the crust about 1/2 inch thick...pack the shredded potatoes in and then bake at 375 until lightly browned.
That's your crust.
then fill the dish with veggies of your choice...you will need 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups of veggies to fill the dish....and I would like a mixture of lightly sauteed onions, some red peppers, either roasted or from a jar, broccoli, maybe some cauliflower...both briefly blanched to soften a little...or previously frozen and drained, sliced sauteed mushrooms, maybe carrot buttons blanched, perhaps some dried or roasted tomatoes, maybe some water chesnuts.
Just have enough veggies to fill the dish...I always have on hand a cam of sliced mushrooms and a bag of frozen broccoli in case I am short. toss with the shredded cheese and parsley and add all to the pan.
Then mix up the eggs and milk...because you have used a potato crust you likely won't need all the 7 eggs and 3 cups of milk....more like 2 cups of milk and 5 eggs....with 2 tsps of worchestershire.
Pour over the stuff in the pan////bake....and cool
I think this recipe is better cooked right after making and reheated....rather than saving and baking later.
Good luck!!
Linda C

Or....you could make and bake the crust then blamch the broccoli and carrots, sautee the onions and mushrooms and peppers and mix the eggs, milk and cheese and refrigerate it all, in the morning just dump the veggies and cheese into a bowl, mix put into the precooked crust, add the milk and egg mix and bake...375 for 45 minutes then cover and turn down the oven for another 40 minutes, because the dish and potatoes and all are very cold....
MUCH easier to make day ahead and re-heat. I have even nuked a fritatta when I made it in a dish small enough to fit into my micro.
Your potato crust won't be crisp, but it will be browned.

I'm glad your party went well, of COURSE they want you to do it every week. Dunkin Donuts wouldn't like it though, LOL.

Annie