Saturday with Peeps!

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Peeps...

it's what's for breakfast!

Just kidding but we are using eggs... we are having baked french toast for breakfast and there will be enough left-overs for tomorrow morning as we'll be up early to attend first service for Easter Sunday ~ less crowded.  This is super easy & delicious!  Since I get up a o-dark-thirty, I'll make a pot of coffee, then whip this up to put it in a preheated oven, go get showered ~ put my face on / hair in rollers and voila ~ breakfast is done!  It's also really easy to do this recipe in your muffin tins (cubed bread style).  Perfect sized amount for the kids with a piece of fruit, perfect for me to put in a baggie to take to work for a snack in the afternoon.

 

Janeen's Baked French Toast

**There are 2 ways to use your bread in this recipe.  Leave it sliced or cube it up in big chunks similar to bread pudding style.

*

5 cups bread if cubed or half a loaf of bread if sliced

(I use regular sandwich loaf bread and it's okay to leave crust on)

4 eggs

 1 and 1/2 cups milk 

1/2 brick of cream cheese, broken into small pieces

scant 1/4 cup sugar 

(scant means slightly less)

1/4 salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 tablespoon butter, soften

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly butter or Pam spray an 8 x 11 inch baking pan.

2.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla.  Add your bread cubes and gently fold mixture to ensure all the bread is coated.  THEN fold in the cream cheese pieces. Finally pour bread mixture into pan. Dot with the butter; let stand for 10 minutes.  

(Perfect time to make a pot of coffee now or clean up the dirty dishes you just made to pass the minutes OR really show your Betty Crocker love by layering some bacon on a cookie sheet place it on the lower rack of the oven while your french toast bakes.. they will be ready at the same time if you like crispy bacon!)

3.  Combine remaining 1 teaspoon sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 30 to 40 minutes, until top is golden.  If you use a 8 x 8 pan, bake for 45-50 minutes.  If you using extra thick bread, I recommend using 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35 minutes, if not done, return to oven and check after every 5 minute increment until it's done to your liking.  

Enjoy with powdered sugar or maple syrup!

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