Quick breads: Tomato, bacon, lemon-blueberry and more

Quick breads are not only easy to make, but they are tasty and nice to have in the freezer for drop-in company or to take along to a carry-in dinner or potluck meal. Quick breads can be savory or sweet, light or a little dense in texture, but all are delicious.

I came across this fresh tomato bread recipe, and I have never made tomato bread. I just have to make it and give it a try. Then I came across the bacon bread recipe, so a recipe column was born. Today it is all about sweet and savory breads for you and your family.

Fresh Tomato Bread

This recipe for Fresh Tomato Bread will go great with any meal; it is good toasted with butter and a great way to use up some of your fresh tomatoes from the garden. This bread freezes well. Try adding a touch of garlic for a nice savory touch.

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup peeled and chopped or mashed tomatoes

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, oregano, black pepper and salt. Add melted butter, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, chopped onion and tomatoes. Mix well with a spoon. Fold in cheese. Spray a 9 x 5-inch bread pan with cooking spray. Add your bread mixture. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 60 to 65 minutes checking to see if bread is done since ovens vary. Makes 1 loaf. Note: To easily remove the peeling from tomatoes submerge in boiling water for 15 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon. Skins will slip right off.

Bacon Bread

Makes 1 standard loaf size

250g bacon, diced

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1/2 can cream style sweet corn

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees and grease a standard size loaf pan. Fry the chopped bacon in a very hot pan until slightly crisp. Drain off any excess fat and set aside.

Meanwhile, sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Beat together the eggs, butter and milk and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in the corn and bacon and pour into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the loaf and place into the oven. Bake for 60-75 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. If the loaf is browning too fast, turn the heat down or tent with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread

The bread is soft, moist and the cream cheese layer is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into banana bread. It's an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes. Yield: one 9x5-inch loaf, about 10 slices

For the bread:

1 large egg

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup liquid-state coconut oil (canola or vegetable may be substituted)

1/4 cup sour cream (light is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt, optional and to taste

For the cream cheese filling:

1 large egg

4 ounces softened brick-style cream cheese (light is okay)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 9x5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. In a large bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, coconut oil, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add the bananas and stir to incorporate. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don't over mix; set aside. Turn about two-thirds of the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary; set aside.

Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a large bowl, add all ingredients and whisk to combine or mix with a hand mixer. Evenly pour filling mixture over the bread, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.

Top with remaining batter, smoothing the top very lightly with a spatula as to not disturb cream cheese layer and pushing batter into corners and sides as necessary.

Bake for about 48 to 50 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Note: this is tricky because the cream cheese never gets totally solid so the toothpick test isn't the most accurate.

Tip: Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped over it at the 30 minute-mark if you feel the tops and sides will become too browned before center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of bananas, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.

Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Optionally, serve bread with honey butter, cinnamon-sugar butter, blueberry butter, strawberry butter or vanilla browned-butter glaze. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 apple, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in lemon zest, nuts and blueberries. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 60 to 70 minutes.

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup confectioners sugar

Combine all ingredients mix well. Drizzle over bread.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.