Baby Shower Brunch

I helped host a baby shower for a friend today. It was so much fun to get the menu together and spend the morning cooking! We wanted to have a good mix of food, sweet and savory, and something that everyone could enjoy but of course that was "mommy-to-be" friendly!

The menu ended up being:
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Egg Casserole
- Fruit Salad
- Parmesan Potato Pancake

My two favorite dishes ended up being the bread and the egg casserole. The peanut butter banana bread was featured in the October issue of Cooking Light (one of my favorite foodie mags). It was the second time that I've had it and it is delicious yet simple to bake. I love having it around the house to pair with a smoothie for breakfast.

The egg dish was a recipe I got from a friend and it is all all-time favorite. The nutmeg and thyme make it very unique and flavorful. The best part is you can make it the night before you are hosting a brunch and just throw in the oven. Recipes for both of these dishes are below!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe
(From Cooking Light)

Ingredients
Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Cooking spray
Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Preparation 1.

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Florentine Brunch Casserole Recipe

4 cups cubed french bread or italian bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 10 oz pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup chopped onion
8 italian sausages chopped and cooked (use whatever breakfast meat you prefer)
2 cups shredded 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese
8 eggs
2 cups skim milk
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 by 13 in pan with cooking spray. Place bread pieces, spinach, onion, sausage, and cheese in casserole dish. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, thyme, salt, nutmeg and mustard until well blended. Slowly pour in egg mixture. Bake immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove cover before baking. Bake 25-30 minutes until casserole is golden and puffy and center reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.