I always enjoy finding or creating recipes that can be made to fit any day or occasion...

This is one of those...

Whether it's breakfast or brunch, dinner or lunch—this "BLT Casserole" is just perfect for serving for family or friends...

Mine was made with a mix of homemade and locally sourced ingredients; but, of course, you could save yourself time by just going to your local supermarket for the bread and other ingredients—absolutely nothing wrong with that, I do it myself when I need too...

This time though I decided to go the extra mile by making my own Sourdough from scratch (see the recipe in the Recipe Redux section of the Blog) as well as going to local farms for the fresh eggs, lettuce, tomatoes and bacon—nothing quite like farm fresh if you ask me...

After taking out some of my frozen chicken stock to thaw, I then whipped up some of Julia Child's foolproof mayonnaise—then it was time to work...

Cutting, toasting, slicing, chopping and then oven baking some bacon later—it was time to toss everything together and dump it into my oval roaster to bake for Brunch...

Already the house was smelling divine from all of the various parts involved in creating this dish; but after 45 minutes more of it all in the oven, my mouth was truly salivating at the thought of digging in...

A last couple of minutes under the broiler after brushing it down with some bacon fat (Mmm, bacon) and it was finally time to eat...

So good and so filling; truly a scrumptious, salty, savory dish for anytime of day or night and oh so "Definitely Delish"

*"Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich Bake"*

"BLT Casserole"

Ingredients:
12-16 ounces crusty Sourdough bread cut into 1" cubes (about 8 cups)
1 pound thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1" pieces
3 large farm fresh eggs
1 1/4 cups low-sodium organic chicken stock
1/2 cup organic Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt or Sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 pint grape sized heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 head local farmed butter lettuce, washed, dried very well, cut into 1" slices
1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped Parsley, for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing once, until dry to the touch and slightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly....
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat starts to render and bacon browns, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a small bowl, reserving 3 Tbsp. fat.
3. Whisk eggs, stock, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and 2 Tbsp. bacon fat in a large bowl...
4. Add bread and gently toss to combine. Add bacon and tomatoes and stir to combine. Let sit until bread has absorbed most of the liquid, about 15 minutes...
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Add lettuce to bread mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and bake until top is golden brown, about 45 minutes...
6. Brush surface with remaining 1 Tbsp. bacon fat, turn broiler on, and continue baking until tops of bread are glistening and well toasted, 3–5 minutes more...
7. Garnish with parsley & chives, if using, and serve immediately...

Notes:
1. For the Bacon I used the oven cooking method; place bacon inside of a baking dish or on a rack inside of one and cook in a pre-heated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes-or until nicely browned. (Alternatively you can cook inside of a pan on the stove top)
2. If you want you can use any bakery bread you prefer, from wheat to pumpernickel- it's up to your own personal preference...

*"Polenta with Roasted Vegetable Sauce"*

I can't believe it, but it's been only just a little over a year now since I started playing around with the idea of blogging online...

It certainly has felt like so much longer to me...

Now between all of the cooking, photographing and sharing of my recipes I've been blessed to have met some of the kindest, sweetest and most supportive "Foodies" from just about every corner on Earth...

They really have been beyond wonderful and I've cherished the friendships I've made with each of them...

One of the very first good friends within the "Foodie" community that I made was Lizzy, from A Tasty Mess...

An at home Chef, much like myself, from Houston Texas—who beyond just the incredible encouragement she always gave me, and my early endeavors, was also kind enough to invite me to write, and create, a guest post on her blog—a post that amazingly enough even made it onto the The Daily Meal...

For someone like myself who hadn't ever even shared a recipe, let alone write & photograph for a website, this was an opportunity that I've always been grateful for...

So in honor of the recipe that started it all, I've decided to take most of the same wonderful ingredients to create this dish—a mix of farm fresh and organic, brought together to give you a scrumptious "Sweet & Creamy Polenta" with a "Roasted Vegetable Sauce"

Try it out for yourself. I'll think you'll find it, oh so "Definitely Delish"

"Sweet & Creamy Polenta" with "Roasted Vegetable Sauce"
(serves about 4)

Roasted Vegetable Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Kalamata Olive oil
1-2 Japanese eggplants, cut into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces
1 medium Zucchini, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 yellow squash, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine (Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio)
1 cup chopped fire roasted tomatoes (fresh or canned)
6 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon organic sugar
1/2 tablespoon Shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large deep sided sauté pan on medium heat—add the various sliced vegetables (zucchini, eggplant & squash) and pan roast for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned...
2. Now add the shallots and cook for one minute more before draining off any excess oil if necessary...
3. Follow by adding the tomato paste to the pan and stir, cooking for 2 minutes, before then adding the wine and cooking for 1 more minute...
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, water, sea salt, organic sugar and fresh oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes to get a deep-flavored sauce. Set aside or save; warm it up when ready to serve...

Polenta:
Ingredients:
6 ears of Farm Fresh Corn
2 cups Water
3 tablespoons unsalted Irish Butter, diced
7 ounces Bulgarian Feta, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
Fresh ground White Pepper

Directions:
1. Remove the leaves and "silk" from each ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Using a sharp knife to shave off the kernels by either standing each ear upright on its base and shaving downward, or lay each ear on its side on a cutting board to slice off the kernels...
2. You want to have about 1 pound of corn kernels...
3. Place the kernels in a medium saucepan and barely cover them with the water. Add one tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat simmering...
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the kernels from the water and place them into a food processor; reserve the cooking liquid...
5. Process them for several minutes, to break as much of the kernel case as possible. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes too dry to process...
6. Now return the processed corn to the pan with the reserved cooking liquid and cook, while stirring, on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to an almost mashed potato consistency. (If you have a lot of liquid left in the pan, it can take longer to cook down the polenta, and it will sputter)
7. Fold in the remaining butter, the feta, sea salt and some pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and add more sea salt & white pepper if needed...