Blueberry recipe bursting with flavor

Lorie Skarpness

Park Rapids Enterprise

When wild blueberries are in season take advantage of them to create flavorful desserts. Whether picking your own or buying some that are already picked, they will add a taste of summer to your table.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole thegirlwhoateeverything.com

1 lb. French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, about 12 slices

1 cup fresh blueberries

Filling:

8-oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

Milk mixture:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

8 eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Blueberry sauce:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 Tbsp. butter

Spray a 9-by-13inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish.

For the cream cheese filling, stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. You can do this by hand or with a mixer. Spoon dollops over the bread. Sprinkle 1 cup of blueberries on top. Sprinkle the remaining bread cubes on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon. Pour over the bread mixture making sure to cover all of the bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, take the casserole out of the fridge while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While the casserole is baking, make the blueberry sauce. In a small pot, stir together the sugar, water, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Bring mixture to a boil for 2-3 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the blueberries. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until blueberries burst. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Serve the casserole warm with blueberry or maple syrup.

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