After a short hiatus due to a weather induced migraine I'm back!! Nothing stops me in my tracks like a migraine. I couldn't eat, watch TV or even .... read!! The kicker is that when I have a migraine I don't even want to drink my morning java!! I know, right?!? Utterly debilitating! No coffee in the morning? What am I an animal?? Sadly, I was but a lump under the covers for 12 hours. But enough about what a total wuss I am. I'm back with a recipe that my peeps loved!
I don't know about you but my family adores breakfast. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, toast ... you provide a breakfast food for my kids and they're in heaven! If given the choice, my three kids would opt for 'breakfast for supper' every night. Personally, I love making breakfast fare for supper because A) I'm much more awake at 5pm than I am in the wee hours of the morning, B) greasy breakfast clean up doesn't seem so daunting at 6pm as it does at 8:30am and C) I accrue Awesome Mom points by my children.
I made this French toast dish a couple of weeks ago for one of my work day suppers. Nothing says easy supper like a dish you prep ahead of time and pop into the oven. I figured if I made the casserole in the morning and let it sit all day in the fridge for 8 hours supper would be a breeze! Toss some OJ, yogurt, fresh fruit and breakfast sausages on the table and dinner is d-o-n-e, done!
Needless to say this was a hit with those Breakfast Aficionados who dwell with me (Brad and I quite enjoyed it too). In fact my 10 year old begged to have the leftovers for lunch the next day. :)
So if you're looking for an easy breakfast to serve a crowd (this recipe would double easily) or a time-saving supper idea that will get your Mini Humans to rave about how awesome you are give this recipe a try.
Overnight French Toast Bake
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of cloves
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
12 -14 slices of bread (I used a bag of Italian bread)
Pour melted butter into a 9x13-inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pecans, if using.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, milk and half-and-half cream.
Place your bread in the baking dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the bread. If you're layering your bread like I did (propped up against each other) try to get the brown sugar down in between the slices. You could also do two separate layers of bread. Just make sure you only use half of the brown sugar mixture per layer.
Pour egg mixture over the bread slices making sure that they're all evenly coated. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (or all day if you're having breakfast for supper).
Preheat oven to 350F. Bake the covered casserole for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the French toast is browned and set (not mushy).
Drizzle maple syrup over the bread slices. Return dish to oven and bake for 5 more minutes to caramelize the top. Serve warm with additional maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe adapted from: www.mommyskitchen.net
Similar recipes you might like to try: Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake
I've linked this recipe to: A Little Nosh's 'Tastetastic Thursday'!!
Thanks for your recipe. One of the girls from work made this and was amazing. I am going to make this New Years Day for my kids. Yummy
ReplyDeleteAnon -- I'm so glad that you enjoyed this dish! It's been awhile since I made it. Perhaps it'll make an appearance in next week's meal plan. :)
ReplyDeleteYour ingredients calls for half and half, which I bought at the store...but it does not say anything about the half and half in the directions. i am guessing it supposed to be whisked in with the eggs, milk, and vanilla. I honestly put it in the fridge when I got home and totally forgot about it.. Until, I was laying in bed the night I made it and it dawned it on me that I never put it in the half and half. I hope it turns out okay for my meeting tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know so someone won't make the same mistake I did. Thanks!
Hi Kimberly -- thanks for bringing that typo to my attention. I hope this dish was a hit at your meeting.
ReplyDeleteA tip that I use to help me remember to add all of the ingredients (there have been times when I've forgotten or the recipe had a typo) is to line up all of my ingredients ahead of time and then start cooking. That way you have all of your stuff ready and you can feel like you're on your own little cooking show. ;)