Make ahead Baked French Toast with Strawberries and Cream Cheese

A great recipe from Thrifty Foods for fresh French toast where you’ve done all the work the evening before. In the morning, you just have to get up and pop the dish in the oven.

 Made even better with BC strawberries!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 16 (1/2-inch thick) slices French bread, cut at slight angle (see Note)
• 1 (250g) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup half and half cream
• 12 large, or 24 medium, strawberries, hulled and sliced (divided)
• Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
• Warm maple syrup, to taste

Method

• Spread butter into a 13″ x 9″ casserole. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle half evenly into the bottom of the pan.
• Spread one side of 8 bread slices each with 1 Tbsp. cream cheese. Arrange those slices, cheese-side-up, in a snug single layer in the pan. Now divide and top those bread slices with half the strawberries, slightly overlapping them.
• Spread one side of each remaining bread slice with 1 Tbsp. cream cheese. Set those slices, cheese-side-down, on top strawberry-topped bread slices, gently press down on them to help them cling to the slices below.
• Beat eggs in a medium bowl until well blended. Mix in milk and cream. Using a ladle, slowly pour this mixture over the bread; ensuring top slices gets evenly coated. Sprinkle the top of the bread with remaining brown sugar mixture. Cover and refrigerate French toast overnight.
• The next morning when ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake French toast, uncovered, in the middle of the oven 30 minutes. Turn oven to broil. Broil French toast 1 to 2 minutes, or until top is rich golden. If desired, dust French toast lightly with icing sugar. Serve with maple syrup and remaining sliced strawberries.

Note: It’s important to cut the bread so that the stacked slices sit in a snug, single layer in the pan. Slices 4″ to 5″ long, and 3″ inches wide, work well here.

Recipe Options: For an even richer taste, instead of cream cheese, spread the bread with mascarpone cheese, Instead of strawberries, set fresh raspberries in between the slices French bread.

Serving Suggestions

To make a hearty and pleasing feast, serve the French toast with sausages or bacon, fruit juice and coffee or tea.

Overview

• Makes: 8 servings
• Type Of Dish: Breakfast
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cooking Time: 32 minutes
• Total Time: 13 hours 2 minutes
• Fridge Time: 12 hours

 Nutritional Facts Per Serving

• Calories 441
• Protein 13.5 g
• Carbs 48.1 g
• Fibre 2.1 g