Whew! Thanksgiving 2020 is in the books. For many of us, it was a much smaller event that involved a lot more phone calls and video chats than is typical. Here's hoping 2021 can bring back the gatherings of old, but I'm also hoping that yesterday and the festivities surrounding it still managed to bring some warmth and gratitude your way. Whether it involved a turkey and trimmings or pizza and beer, there's something about a laid back day or three after a feast fest to make me smile. Therefore, I present to you one of my favorite morning casseroles for the fall season!
Bringing together the flavors of apple pie and cinnamon rolls in a casserole that can be assembled the night before and popped in the oven in the morning, dishes like this give me a warm kitchen that smells like all of the goodness of fall baking alongside a meal that makes my family cheer. What's not to love?
You can make any of the traditional morning sides to have with this casserole, but I tend to just spoon some of it into bowls and have mugs of coffee and warm apple cider with it. Oh, and a delightfully lazy morning with my family. Just because Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror doesn't mean we need to stop counting our blessings!
Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole
- Cooking spray
- 1 (12.4 oz.) container refrigerated cinnamon rolls
- 2-3 apples, peeled and sliced (about 3 cups)
- ½ c. brown sugar mixed with 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1 c. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Cut up the cinnamon rolls into bite-sized pieces and place them evenly on the bottom of the baking pan. Reserve the icing packet for later.
Place the sliced apples and brown sugar-cinnamon mixture in a medium saucepan and stir gently over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and the apples soften slightly. Remove from the heat and spoon evenly over the cinnamon roll pieces in the baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over top of the ingredients in the baking pan.
To make a topping, stir together the remaining listed ingredients (brown sugar and cinnamon) in a small bowl. Sprinkle over top of the ingredients in the baking pan. Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, covered. Then remove the cover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Serve hot. Drizzle with the reserved icing packet from the refrigerated cinnamon rolls before serving.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 90 minutes