Best Recipe Contest Nets Morris Twp. Woman $10K

In the eyes of Eggland's Best, one Morris Township resident's recipe clearly is the best.

Donna Pochoday-Stelmach, of Morris Township, took the $10,000 grand prize recently for the company's inaugural "Your Best Recipe" contest. Her recipe was Peach-Blueberry Egg Bread, which was named both the overall Grand Prize winner as well as the winner in the "Breakfast Category."

“My Peach-Blueberry Egg Bread Bake is based on my vision of merging healthy ingredients like fresh fruit and Eggland’s Best eggs into a comforting egg bread-custard base,” Pochoday-Stelmach said. “I have been a long-time fan of Eggland’s Best eggs due to their nutritional advantages over ordinary eggs, and I am overjoyed to be selected as the Grand Prize winner in their first-ever national recipe contest."  

Other winners included three Category winners who will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize. Two were from Connecticut, while one hailed from New York.

Recipe entries for the contest were received from all 50 states and Puerto Rico, according to a press release. "The Grand Prize winner and Category winners were selected from the top 20 Semi-Finalist entries, which were submitted by entrants from coast to coast, including California, Florida, Mississippi and New York," according to the release.

In addition, Cal-Maine, owner of the Eggland's Best brand and the nation's largest egg producer—encouraged consumers to vote for their favorite recipes online during a 10-day period in September.

Peach-Blueberry Egg Bread Bake

Prep Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 5 cups egg bread (challah, paska, brioche), chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 5-6 peaches, skin removed and cut into small slices
• 2 cups blueberries
• 3 Eggland's Best eggs (large)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar for top
• 2 cups milk
• 4 ounces butter, unsalted, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional Topping:

• 1 cup greek vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almond
• pure maple syrup, warmed, to taste 

Preparation

Spray a deep pie baking dish or individual 3 inch baking mini pans with cooking spray and set aside.

Place half of the cubed egg bread in the baking dish.

Add 2 cups of peaches and 3/4 cup of blueberries over the egg bread.

Cover with the remaining bread cubes.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, then add the maple syrup and brown sugar gradually until well blended.

Add in the milk, butter, then add in the vanilla and the cinnamon, and whisk until well blended.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the bread cubes, making sure all bread is covered well.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, remove the plastic wrap, and spread the remaining peaches and blueberries over the top of th eegg bread.  Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the dish, and bake for about an hour until the bake has puffed up and becomes lightly brown.

Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

Serve with a generous dollop of Greek yogurt, sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds, and drizzle with warmed pure maple syrup. 

Nutrition

Serving size 1 Serving. Calories 282, Fat 14g (49% calories from fat), Cholesterol 69mg,Sodium 232mg, Total Carbohydrate 32g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 6g