All Good Things Come

To those who wait. Okay, it’s confession time. I had originally planned to share this recipe for Christmas Morning. It seemed to make sense at the time. Put the casserole together before leaving for Midnight Mass, then bake on Christmas Morning.

Oh but reality set in. There is so much going on for most of us Christmas Eve. With little ones that means placing the gifts Santa has hidden in the closet under the tree. There might be a bike to assemble once the children are snug in their beds. And once that is all done, it’s time to get the little ones ready for Midnight Mass. How I remember trying to slip sleeping arms and legs into our new Christ-Mass best. Christmas Eve has its own unique share of challenges. Those challenges are often blessings in disguise. Once your little ones are grown, you’ll miss those flopping arms and legs. I know I do.

While we don’t have little ones to contend with, we do have our Christmas Eve traditions. Supper is often late in the evening, and as special a meal as possible as we prepare our hearts and minds for His birth. Putting together a casserole for Christmas morning simply isn’t a part of our tradition. Although that does sound special, doesn’t it?

With the bulk of the Secular Celebrations behind us, I thought maybe we should reserve this dish to enjoy on a more quiet morning. So here we are. Sit back, sip a cup of coffee, look at the world through His loving eyes and say all is as it was meant to be. The more we learn to give it up to Him, the more His peace becomes a part of our very core. Walking with God is a lot like walking on freshly fallen snow. There is a hush and a sense of peace in the world. A stillness. It’s so hard to learn to be still. Yet in the stillness we connect with Christ. In the stillness we hear Him speak. And we feel His love.

The beauty of this breakfast casserole is that it takes two days to prepare and bake. That give you two days of reflection and peace. What a wonderful gift to ourselves. So often we forget that we need a little time to recharge. Every year Hubby asks me what I want for Christmas. It’s always the same thing. Quiet time with him by my side. That’s all I want because it’s all I need.

Overnight Apple Pie French Toast
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
4 tablespoons Butter
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 (21 oz) can Apple Pie Filling
10 slices White Bread
3/4 cup Milk
3 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
Butter for Serving
Powdered Sugar for dusting

Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish.

Melt butter in a small bowl. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon; spread into the prepared pan. Spread apple pie filling evenly over top, then layer on bread slices, pressing down as you go.

In another bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour slowly over the bread, taking care to make sure the egg mixture is completely absorbed into the bread. Cover dish with foil; refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350-degrees.

Remove casserole dish from refrigerator, let the chill fade as the oven warms. Bake the casserole for about an hour or so covered.

Uncover casserole, drizzle maple syrup over the top. Switch oven to broil, broil for 2 minutes or until the syrup begins to caramelize. Remove from the oven; let stand for 10 minutes.

Invert pan onto a large serving tray or baking sheet so the apples are now on top and cut into squares. Serve hot with butter and a dusting of powdered sugar.

---

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.