2 dad-approved recipes to bake this month: Strawberry French toast casserole, savory herb drop biscuits

Preppy Kitchen creator John Kanell shared two dishes from his new cookbook.

August 20, 2024, 7:51 AM

Baking expert and bestselling author John Kanell has a new cookbook, "Preppy Kitchen Super Easy," named after his popular culinary social media page.

Kanell, a father of twin boys, knows what parents need when it comes to juggling a busy family schedule while still wanting to serve practical, easy-to-prepare dishes that taste great.

Preppy Kitchen Super Easy: 100 Simple and Versatile Recipes book cover.
Courtesy of Simon Element

He joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday in tandem with the book's launch to share a couple recipes from the new collection.

Check out the full recipes below, plus some tools to add to your kitchen, and bake both dishes with ease.

Strawberry French Toast Casserole

"Is it French toast? Is it bread pudding? I don't really know, but I am positive that it is delicious. After all, anything that calls for reconstituting otherwise dry store-bought croissants -- which are perfectly suited for this preparation because they plump up like little buttery sponges -- with a brown sugar and vanilla-scented custard is going to be pretty irresistible. For good measure, and to balance out the dish's richness, I call for gently cooked strawberries. You can assemble just about everything the night before, cook off the berries as the casserole bakes, and have one very impressive, very celebration-worthy dish that requires very little standing at the stove."

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the French toast filling
Cooking spray or butter, for greasing
6 large eggs
1 3/4 cups (420 milliliters) whole milk
1/3 cup (73 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 croissants or 12 mini croissants, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes

For the topping
1/4 cup (55 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

For the strawberry sauce
1 pound (450 grams) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a 90-by-13-inch or 3 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Add the croissant pieces and toss until well coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and set aside.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the filling. Dot the top with cubes of butter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.

While the casserole bakes, make the sauce: In a large skillet, combine the strawberries, granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup of water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to simmer, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the vanilla, sprinkle the cornstarch over the berries, and stir to combine. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Spoon the sauce over the casserole just before serving. Leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Variations

Swap the strawberries for juicy fruits such as other berries, peaches, plums, cherries or apples. You can also use frozen fruit; however, you may need to increase the cornstarch by at least 1 teaspoon because frozen fruit brings some water with it.

Swap out the croissants for 1 loaf of brioche or cinnamon-swirl bread cut into 1-inch cubes.

Tip: You can assemble the casserole filling without adding the topping, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before topping and baking.

Smoked Gouda and Thyme Drop Biscuits

"Drop biscuits are the unsung heroes of the biscuit category. Unlike their fussier (though beloved) Southern-style cousins that require all kinds of special care in order to puff up, these get mixed in one bowl and scooped right onto the pan. You can flavor them with just about anything -- though here I highly recommend the deeply savory combination of smoked Gouda and fresh thyme -- and they will turn whatever they're served with (breakfast or dinner) into a complete and polished-feeling meal. Just add a couple of eggs!"

Makes 8 biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus more for the pan (if applicable)
1 cup (100 grams) shredded smoked Gouda
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup (180 milliliters) whole milk, cold, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (optional)
Flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter a large cast-iron skillet. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat in the flour. Using a pastry blender or by rubbing the pieces of butter between your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the largest pieces are pea size.

Add the Gouda and thyme and mix just to combine. Pour in the milk and use a silicone spatula or fork to gently fold it in until the mixture is sticky but hasn't formed a cohesive mass. If the dough has large dry pockets, sprinkle another tablespoon or two of milk on the dry areas and gently mix them in.

Scoop the dough into 8 even mounds onto the prepared baking sheet or skillet, spacing them evenly apart. (They don't need to be smooth balls; craggy mounds are perfect here -- an imperfect surface creates more points to get nice and crispy!)

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Immediately brush the biscuits with the melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired. Allow them to cool slightly before enjoying them warm.

Variations

Change the cheese: You can use any shredded, crumbled, or grated cheese instead of the Gouda.

Change the herbs: Swap the thyme for other fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary or dill. If using dried herbs, reduce the amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

To make sweet biscuits: Omit the cheese and herbs and increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons. Leave the biscuits plain or mix in warm spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg, or fold in dried fruit, chopped fresh berries or chocolate chips. If desired, sprinkle more sugar over the tops before baking.

Excerpted from PREPPY KITCHEN SUPER EASY: 100 Simple and Versatile Recipes. Copyright @ 2024 by John Kanell. Photography Copyright © 2024 by David Malosh. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

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