Baked Cheese Blintz Casserole With Strawberry Sauce

From The Big Book of Breakfast, 2003, by Maryana Vollstedt. Faster and easier than blintzes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Filling

• 8  ounces light cream cheese
• 15  ounces ricotta cheese
• 1  large egg
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

• Batter

• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 6  large eggs
• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 cup  orange juice

• Strawberry Sauce

• 1 (16 ounce) package  frozen strawberries with  juice, thawed
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 1  cup  sliced fresh strawberries
• 1  tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)

Directions

1. Filling: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat together all ingredients. Set aside.
2. Batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer and with clean beaters, beat butter, sugar, and eggs. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and orange juice and beat well.
3. Casserole: Pour half of the batter into a lightly sprayed or oiled 9 X 13 baking dish. Spoon Filling on top, spreading it around as much as possible. Pour remaining batter on top. Bake until firm and golden on top, about 50 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with Strawberry Sauce or a blueberry sauce.
4. Strawberry Sauce: In a food processor, slightly puree the thawed berries, including their juice. Transfer puree to a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients (except liqueur) and bring to a boil on medium-high, whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add fresh berries and liqueur. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.