Low Fat Monkey Bread

 So I contemplated going on a fast from sugar for awhile.  That lasted about one day until I decided to make this.  I'm telling you, I think my relationship with sugar is borderline stronghold status.  Someday soon I probably ought to go cold turkey for awhile, but not today.

I'm not really sure why it is called Monkey Bread, it contains absolutely no monkey and no monkeys were harmed in the making of it.  Perhaps, it is because it is so easy maybe even a monkey could make it.

There are certainly a lot of versions of Monkey Bread out there and I think between the various sleepovers I went to as a kid, I've probably tasted a lot of them.  This is my favorite.  It's made with frozen bread dough and instead of using gobs of butter, you make a cinnamon caramel sauce on the stove with just a touch of butter, milk and (I admit, quite a lot of) sugar.

The Monkey Bread pictured is actually a half batch.  I made a full batch of the sauce, though, which meant I had leftovers to experiment with.  My initial research findings: it makes an excellent dip for sliced pears and when stirred into coffee with cream, it makes a darn close imitation of a Starbucks' Cinnamon Dolce Latte (the coffee that tastes like a cinnamon roll--how could you go wrong?). 

Monkey Bread
1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 (1-pound) loaves frozen white bread dough, thawed (or 24 unbaked balls of dough for dinner rolls, cut into fourths)
cooking spray

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, butter and 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cook 1 minutes.  Remove sauce from heat; cool 10 minutes.

Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a shallow dish, stir well.  Cut each loaf of dough into 24 equal portions.  Roll each portion in sugar mixture; layer dough balls in a 12 cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.  Pour sauce over dough; cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts 35 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover dough, bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately loosen edges of bread with knife.  Place a plate upside down on top of pan and invert bread onto a plate.  Drizzle any remaining syrup over bread.  Serve while still warm. 

Recipe Source: The Best of Cooking Light
P.S. I'm linking this recipe to The Frugal Girls Chic & Crafty Party! 

Sausage Potato Brunch Casserole

Here's another recipe that I would imagine serving if I ran a bed and breakfast.  We have frequent overnight guests, so sometimes it does feel like a bed and breakfast around here!  This is a great one to serve to guests because you can whip it up the night before.  That means in the morning you get to spend more time in conversation around cups of coffee and not whipping yourself into a short-order-cook-syle-breakfast-making-frenzy.  It covers all the bases in one dish: eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables, potatoes...it'll really leaving you feeling satisfied.  Feel free to substitute diced ham for a more "Denver-omelet" style breakfast casserole. 

Sausage Potato Brunch Casserole
4 cups (about 16 oz) frozen diced potatoes ("Country Style Hash browns"), thawed
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound bulk ground breakfast sausage (or links, casings removed)
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1/4 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
10 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (i.e. Tobasco), optional
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salsa or ketchup for serving, optional

Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread potatoes in an even layer across dish.  Sprinkle surface evenly with garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown sausage until cooked through.  Crumble and sprinkle evenly over potato layer.  In the same skillet, saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to heat and saute peppers and mushrooms until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add pepper-mushroom mixture to onions, stir together and spread evenly over sausage and potatoes.  Layer 1/2 cup shredded cheese over top.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs until well combined.  Stir in milk, hot pepper sauce and additional salt and pepper.  Pour egg mixture over top of casserole.  Top with remaining shredded cheese.  At this point, casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

When time to bake, remove from fridge for about 15 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until eggs are set, cheese is melted and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Adapted from: Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe with Sausage and Potatoes

Pinepple Upside Down French Toast Bake

This is a breakfast dish that is probably not going to win too many health awards.  I think it ranks pretty highly in the delicious category, though.  French toast is really elevated to the next level when baked with a layer of caramelized pineapple.  Sometimes I dream of running a bed and breakfast someday, and if I did, this dish would likely make a frequent appearance.  Here, it is pictured (don't mind that the last piece available to photograph after we'd had brunch with our church happened to get a wee bit dark--ahem, that's just "extra caramelization" : ) alongside Honey-Lime Drizzled Canteloupe and Blueberries (scroll down for my extremely precise recipe! : ). 

Pineapple Upside Down French Toast Bake
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained and juice reserved
6 large eggs
1 cup half and half or milk
1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8-10 1" slices of bread (French, Sourdough, Italian), day-old is great

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in brown sugar and stir until dissolved.  Add pineapple and mix well.  Remove from heat.  Spread in an even layer over bottom of baking dish.  Arrange slices of bread in a single layer over top of pineapple mixture.

In a bowl, mix together eggs, half and half, reserved pineapple juice, salt, vanilla and cinnamon.  Pour over bread.

Bake French Toast in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bread is golden, eggs are set and knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to sit 10-15 minutes before serving.  Cut into squares, and lift out of pan with a pancake turner (you can flip it over so the pineapple part is actually upside down, if you like). 

French Toast can be made a day ahead of time, covered with foil and refrigerated overnight.
Remove from fridge 15 minutes before baking.

Source: Pineapple-Upside Down French Toast presented by The Bouldin House Bed and Breakfast

Honey-Lime drizzled Cantaloupe and Blueberries
Slices of cantaloupe, rind removed
blueberries
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil or mint leaves

Arrange melon and berries on a platter.  Sprinkle lime zest over fruit.  Whisk together lime juice and honey.  Drizzle over fruit.  Garnish with thinly sliced mint or basil leaves.  Serve immediately.

Thoughts on The Next Food Network Star...Episode 1

Note: These are purely my ramblings, proceed at your own risk! : ) 

I had a very sweet friend say that while she was watching The Next Food Network Star she was thinking of me and wondering what I would've made for the challenges.  I have always watched that show and thought "I could do that!" (to the tune that I--to my embarrassment--have actually auditioned a couple times.  I actually got a bit of positive feedback in a previous season's audition rounds but that's as far as it ever went).  On the other hand, I have also watched the show and thought, "There's no way on Earth I could do that!  I am so not cut out!"

One of the things that always goes through my head when I watch the show is that the food I cook is not flashy enough for the show.  It always seems like the contestants make really complicated sounding sauces and use exotic ingredients.  While I think this is interesting and I enjoy the challenge of using lesser known items and techniques, my cooking style definitely is aimed at accessibility.  I want to make things that aren't intimidating and use ingredients that every day people have actually heard of and can find in their own local grocery store.  Still, since I feel like I have a strength in coming up with dishes made from what's on hand, I have always thought the challenges looked really fun. 

Since we got rid of our cable this past Fall, I thought I wouldn't get to see the show I enjoyed so much, but thanks to Hulu, I am getting to see the episodes.  They don't post right away, and since I've had a really busy week I'm pretty behind in viewing, but I suppose as more episodes go on, there might be marathons played and maybe these thoughts (although probably not interesting) might be more relevant.


First Episode Challenge:
Brunch or Breakfast Dish that is "You on a Plate":
I would probably make something along the lines of a breakfast sandwich with a "frizzled egg (see my poached fried egg post)," slices of ripe tomato, freshly ground black pepper and tangy goat cheese broiled on an whole wheat English muffin (maybe finished with some ripe, creamy avocado slices?).  Why is this me?  Born out of ingredients on hand, it comes together in a snap.  It's on the healthy side with the whole wheat muffin and a simple, slight twist on an original, familiar food (the poached-fried method on the egg rather than just a fried or plain poached).

It doesn't seem very fancy compared to what the other contestants put out there...oh well, it's "me" and accessible to other home cooks.

Also, to anyone else who's watching the show...oh my goodness, how awful does Penny come across in the editing? Who's your favorite contestant on the show?

p.s. For real recipes this week, I'm hoping to make a BLT Panzanella Salad, a Coconut Lime Pie and Boston Cream Cupcakes...we'll see how that pans out and if it does, I'll definitely share my results!

Mini Pineapple Muffins with Coconut Crumble

 

And, while I'm on a tropical theme (see the last post on Key Lime Bars)...
Last week, I needed to throw together a baked good (and something that I actually had ingredients in my pantry for) for my Bible study girls quickly!  I came across the concept of a pineapple muffin with coconut crumble and I'm so glad I gave these a try!  These sweet little muffins are buttery but still light and the pineapple makes them moist.  The coconut crumble topping adds a perfect, caramel-y, crunch to the soft muffin underneath.  The mini size was perfect for toddlers and mommies alike and there were plenty to go around.  If you don't have access to a mini muffin pan, don't despair, you can bake them regular size too, just increase the baking time to 18-20 minutes!

Pineapple Muffins:
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Coconut Crumble
1/2  cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons reserved flour mixture
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray mini muffin tin with cooking spray (or fill cups with paper liners).  Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking powder.  Remove 2 tablespoons of mixture and reserve for crumble.  Set aside remaining flour mixture for later.

To prepare crumble, stir together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour mixture and butter with a fork until butter is worked in and mixture is crumbly.  Stir in coconut and set the mixture aside.
 
For muffin batter, in a medium mixing bowl, cream together 6 tablespoons softened butter and sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add in egg, milk, pineapple with juice and vanilla.  Blend together just until combined.  Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula and fold in the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.  The batter will still be lumpy.  Spoon or scoop by tablespoons into prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle teaspoons of crumble topping on each muffin and press down gently.  Place muffin pan in the oven.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with a finger.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Use a butter knife around the edge of each muffin to remove if necessary.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Adapted from: "Cupcakes! From the Cake Doctor" by Anne Byrn

Rhubarb Crumble Coffee Cake

Sheesh, I've been lazy when it comes to posting lately.  My apologies if anyone noticed.  I was finishing up a lovely time in Minnesota with my family (except for the fact that it actually had the gall to snow on the first two days of May...falling into such stereotypes, Minnesota, I'm so disappointed in you...).  We are back to normal life but I have one more recipe that I made while back there (and utilizing my mom's vast selection of dishes and coordinating linens, which I will miss...).  It involves one of my favorite Springtime ingredients, rhubarb. 

Speaking of, I have a tragic story involving rhubarb coffee cake.  I've mentioned before how I was involved in 4-H (see my post on Samoas bars--and yes, I realize samoas come from girl scouts, that just was where I remembered I had put in a teaser about this event...).  Anyway, 4-H makes a big deal about entering items you worked on for exhibition at fairs.  Well, I didn't raise animals and didn't build bird houses, or sew, or make handicrafts or partake in photography.  What I did like to do was bake and so the summer I was eight, I planned to enter a Rhubarb Cake in the Hennepin County Fair with the goal of winning a blue ribbon.

One steamy June day, the time for judging arrived.  I had painstakingly prepared my cake with rhubarb harvested from my father's garden, hand crumbled the cinnamon streusel and baked the cake to perfection.  It was time to go and we were running late, as usual.  My mom loaded myself, my brother, my sister and two neighbor kids she watched into our '87 Grand Caravan (almond colored with the awesome faux wood paneling on the side, of course).  In the chaos that is loading five children into a vehicle, the cake, unfortunately, remained on the roof of the minivan.  We took off down the alley and I don't remember if I suddenly realized my lap was devoid of a potentially prize winning cake or if we heard the sound of it smashing on the cement behind us, but needless to say, there was no blue ribbon in the cards that year. 
So sad.

The recipe for that fateful cake has disappeared, but my love for rhubarb never will.  Here is a winner of a recipe (ha ha)!  Big cinnamon-y crumbs over top of vanilla cake dotted with sweet-tart pieces of rhubarb.   I made it with whole wheat flour to reduce the guilt factor.  For best results, avoid alleys and old school minivans and possibly enjoy with some vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Rhubarb Crumble Coffee Cake
Rhubarb Filling:
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cinnamon Crumble:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces), melted
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can substitute all purpose flour just fine, I was just trying to be healthy)

Cake batter:
1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (again, you can substitute)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar, corn starch and ground ginger from the rhubarb filling ingredients list.  Toss in rhubarb, stir to coat rhubarb in the sugar mixture and set aside.

To make cinnamon crumble, mix together in another bowl the brown and white sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt.  Stir in melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined and sugar starts to dissolve.  Stir in flour with a spatula or wooden spoon.  It will feel like a stiff dough.  Set aside in one big mass.

In one final bowl (are you running out of dishes yet? I'm sorry, it will be worth it), stir together sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.  Combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add into wet ingredients, gently stirring just until combined.  Fold in rhubarb sugar mixture.  Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Using your fingers, break cinnamon crumble mixture into large crumbs and sprinkle evenly across top of cake batter.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean of wet batter (it might be a bit moist if you stick a piece of rhubarb).  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Ice cream or whipped cream garnish, optional.

Recipe Adapted from Big Crumb Coffee Cake by Smitten Kitchen

Lemon Curd and Lemon-Yogurt Brunch Parfait

Lemon-Yogurt Brunch Parfait

 I feel like I've been on a bit of a lemon kick lately and as long as I am, I might as well share with you this yummy recipe for lemon curd.  Lemon curd is a thick spread made from lemon, sugar, eggs and butter (think of the filling in a lemon meringue pie) and is really a delicious addition to a wide number of foods.  Traditionally, it is served with scones (kind of like biscuits) for brunch or teatime, but it can be used to top slices of pound cake or pieces of shortbread, used as a filling in between layers of  cake, spread on toast or even stirred into plain yogurt (one of my favorite uses!).  To buy a jar at the store can be crazy expensive (and I've found I don't really like the taste of the jarred stuff that much anyway), but you can make your own in about 15 minutes and with mostly ingredients you probably already have on hand. This recipe makes about 2 cups, so there's plenty to share--turn it into a sweet gift by putting some in a jar tied with a pretty ribbon!

Lemon Curd
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 small lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and egg and beat together over medium speed until mixture is smooth.  Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly (the mixture may look a bit curdled but it will smooth out during cooking).  Transfer mixture to a heavy sauce pan.  Stir mixture constantly over medium-low heat until it is thick and coats the back of a spoon (about 8-10 minutes).  Do not let it boil.  Stir in lemon zest and transfer to a bowl to cool.  Cover surface of lemon curd with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or you can freeze it as well.  Makes about 2 cups. You can also substitute lime juice and zest for a lovely lime flavored spread!
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

 
Lemon-Yogurt Brunch Parfait 
Even though this is more of a concept than an actual recipe, I felt like this use for lemon curd has to be included.  Layers of lemon curd, plain yogurt, berries and lady fingers, combine for a refreshing treat. It would make a lovely finale to an Easter brunch, a light dessert or just relatively guilt-free snack.  These are really just suggestions, please feel free to improvise.

Ingredients:
plain yogurt 
lemon curd
some kind of cookie: lady fingers, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, lemon wafers, shortbread, etc.
berries, fresh or frozen, any kind (I used blackberries, but raspberries, strawberries or blueberries would all be beautiful and tasty)

Layer all ingredients in either individual wine glasses or all together in a trifle bowl (or some other clear glass serving dish, preferably clear so you can see all the layers), repeating layers until you run out.  Serve immediately or can be made ahead (for softer cookie layers).  Store pre-made parfaits in the refrigerator. 

Lemon Butter Muffins

Mmmmm....muffins!  Especially sunny lemon muffins topped with a tangy lemon glaze.  These are simple to prepare and are the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  And there's something about lemons that makes me think of Springtime.  It must be the cheerful lemon yellow color.  Bake up a batch to have with a lazy weekend breakfast or serve with brunch.  They're sure to be such a hit that perhaps the saying should go, "When life hands you lemons, make lemon butter muffins."

Lemon Butter Muffins
Muffins:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice or milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare 12 muffin cups with paper liners.  Prepare the muffin batter.  Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer until mixture is fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Add the egg, milk, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest (reserve the rest for the glaze) and blend on low speed just until combined.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt and fold into wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.  The batter will be a little lumpy.  Spoon batter into muffin cups (each about 2/3 full).  Bake at 400 degrees until the muffins are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed, 18-20 minute (you can also do miniature muffins just bake for 8-10 minutes).  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan.  Remove muffins from pan and allow to cool another 15 minutes before glazing.

While the muffins are cooling, prepare the glaze.  In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or milk.  Add more juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, to make mixture pourable from a spoon.  Stir in lemon zest.  When muffins have cooled, spoon a teaspoon of glaze over each muffin and let them rest a few minutes to allow the glaze to set.

Recipe adapted from: "Cupcakes! By the Cake Mix Doctor," Anne Byrn (I really like her books and the chapter on muffins is one of my favorites--check it out!)

Ham and Spinach Strata

I love brunch foods.  I love breakfast foods.  I could eat morning foods anytime of day.  This is a dish that is especially versatile.  A strata is a savory egg casserole using day old (read: stale) bread and this time, it's filled with Mediterranean style flavors--spinach, red bell peppers, feta cheese and diced ham to make it even more substantial.  The lovely thing about a strata is that it's begging for you to use any fillings you have on hand (read: a great way to use up leftovers--see my note below for some suggestions).  Simple, economical and able to be assembled ahead and popped into the oven whenever you're ready, this is an excellent dish to keep in mind for upcoming brunch-centered celebrations (read: Easter, Mother's Day, Baby Showers) and also lazy Saturday mornings. 

Ham and Spinach Strata
6 cups cubed (or torn into bite sized pieces) bread: day old French bread is lovely, croissants are elegant, you can even use leftover hot dog buns if that's what needs to be used up--sometimes they do!
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 12 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups (1 8 oz package) shredded cheese (Italian blend is nice, feel free to experiment)
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
2 cups diced ham
8 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions: Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the dish.  Set aside.  In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion, and saute, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened (2-3 minutes).  Add bell pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes longer or until bell pepper is crisp-tender.  Stir in chopped spinach and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Spoon spinach mixture evenly over bottom layer of bread pieces.  Sprinkle cheeses over spinach layer and cover with remaining bread cubes.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Stir in dry mustard and season egg mixture with additional salt and pepper.  Pour over casserole.  At this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.  Bake uncovered until puffed and golden, about 45-55 minutes. 

note: Experiment with different combinations depending on what you have on hand: Chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese, breakfast sausage and mushrooms, asparagus and Swiss cheese, green chiles, corn and pepper jack...the possibilities are endless.

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

If you're anything like me, you anything that involves custard is an easy sell (and that's really what bread pudding is, a baked custard with bread in it). It's just one of those food buzz words that makes me immediately think I'll like it. A few more: caramel, goat cheese, spinach, artichoke, portabella mushrooms...(not together, mind you, but certainly any of those ingredients listed on a menu and I'm likely to order).

Anyway, in my constant quest to not let anything go to waste, I used last week's stale Kaiser rolls for this week's dessert (or a rather indulgent breakfast made out of the leftovers--I felt like Bill Cosby rationalizing chocolate cake for breakfast because it has nutritious things like eggs and milk in it. But really, guilt aside, it really is like a big French Toast casserole, so it's perfectly acceptable for this to appear for brunch. You hear that? You have my permission!). It tasted kind of like a chocolate croissant. And that, friends, should probably be added to my list of buzz words!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
About 5 cups leftover, stale bread torn into bite sized pieces (a French-type bread or roll is good)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2-1 cup chocolate chips (depending how chocolate-y you like it--I used a combination of milk chocolate and mini chips)
Whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 casserole dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, thoroughly beat eggs. Whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add milk and whisk until combined. Stir in bread pieces and toss just until bread is soaked through. Add chocolate chips, stir once more and then pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes-1 hour, until a knife comes out clean and the bread pudding is golden brown and puffed around the edges. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream (or at room temperature, or cut into slivers directly from the fridge and furtively eaten while still standing in the open fridge).

Note: you can also cover this and refrigerate overnight if you want to make ahead of time for in the morning. Just allow for a longer baking time if it goes into the oven right from the fridge.
Additionally, you can substitute blueberries and cubed cream cheese for the chocolate chips if you'd like to take more of a "breakfast-y," French Toast Casserole approach. In that case, you might want to also cut down on the sugar and pass maple syrup for serving, but that's just me...