Barrister Bites

BARRISTER BITES By: Angelia Morie Nystrom

The University of Tennessee

FIREPITS, FRENCH TOAST AND A FEEDING FRENZY

A couple of years ago, Hugh made an astute observation: our house was the “boring house” as related to teens. We didn’t have a lot of the high-tech entertainment that most of his friends had. We had often said that ours was an “Amish house.” We were proud of that… but apparently Trace was not. Trace was constantly asking to spend the night out…but never really wanted people to stay at our house. Understanding that Trace was getting older and that our time with him at home was limited, Hugh made it his personal mission to “make our house cool.” He purchased a big screen television and a gaming system for our bonus room. We moved Trace into a larger bedroom and decorated it with more grown up things. But something was missing.

Our outdoor space included a nice basketball goal and big driveway, but it also included a playset with a tree house. While it was great for an elementary schooler, it was decidedly not cool for a middle schooler—let alone high schoolers.

A wise man once said, “What goes up must come down.” While it is a reference to gravity, it also applies to playsets. During the COVID shutdown, our playset came down and the playground area became a firepit. All of a sudden, our house became cool again.

These days, on any given weekend, there are usually between 4 and 10 teenage boys at our house, sitting around the firepit. They talk, play music and eat lots of s’mores until all hours of the night. And, since most of them are not yet driving, they generally spend the night.

It is really a good thing that I love to cook because teenage boys love to eat. Growing up in a house of girls, I was unfamiliar with this phenomenon. Trace is a swimmer, and he eats copious amounts of food and drinks about a gallon of milk a day. He also only weighs about 120 lbs. Most of his friends are much larger and have appetites that rival – and often exceed-- his.

With the number of boys usually at our house, I needed more than just cereal. I also needed things that I could make the night before and bake the following morning. Lucky for me, The Trust Company does a quarterly newsletter and always includes a recipe on the back. Last month, they featured a Blackberry French Toast Casserole, which was adapted from a Southern Living recipe. They even included a full-color photo. It was billed as a recipe that could be prepared ahead and then baked the next day. I was intrigued.

The following weekend, I decided that I was going to use Trace and his buddies as my guinea pigs. The prep time on the French toast casserole was about 15 minutes, and the cook time was about 50 minutes. It was warm and satisfying and reminded me of a really good bread pudding. It was also a huge hit with teenage boys.

To prepare the Blackberry French Toast Casserole, you need the following ingredients: 1 ½ cups seedless blackberry jam, 1 French bread loaf sliced in 1” pieces, 6 large eggs, 1 8oz package of cream cheese (cubed in ½” pieces), 2 cups half and half, 1 TBS vanilla, and fresh blackberries.

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat jam in microwave in 15 second intervals until pourable. Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9x13 baking dish and top with half the jam and dot with half of the cream cheese. Repeat layers of bread cubes, jam and cream cheese. Then, whisk eggs, half and half, and vanilla and pour over the top. If you need more liquid to soak all the bread, add more half and half. Top with fresh berries. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20-30 more minutes or until the center is set. You can serve with maple syrup (the preference of teenage boys), but my personal favorite is with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. The recipe also suggested pairing the French toast with a savory side of sausage or bacon. When I prepared it for the boys the first time, I baked Benton’s hickory smoked bacon in the oven.

Trace and his buddies will generally eat about a pound of bacon each. With pork prices rising higher and higher, I started looking for an alternative that would be savory and filling. I found the perfect recipe in Garden & Gun.

Alma’s Breakfast Casserole is the perfect savory option when making breakfast or brunch for a crowd. To prepare it, you will need 1 lb hot pork breakfast sausage, 1/2 TBS cayenne pepper, 6 slices of light white bread, 10 large eggs, 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 cups whole milk, ½ tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp black pepper.

To prepare it, preheat oven to 350°. Brown sausage in skillet with the cayenne pepper, breaking into small pieces. Allow to cool. Cut bread into cubes. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in cheese, milk, mustard powder, and pepper. Add bread and sausage, then mix to combine. Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish, and bake for 45 minutes until brown on top. It is easy… and it is delicious.

I’ve made both recipes multiple times, and they are never-fails. As a bonus, they cook at the same temperature for roughly the same amount of time. They come out of the oven and are ready to serve together.

If you are looking to feed a hungry mob (whether it be your family, friends or a bunch of teenage boys), I can promise that these are crowd pleasers. Be warned, though: It may look like sharks having a feeding frenzy!