Breakfast fare usually consists of bacon and eggs or maybe oatmeal. For a change of pace, pancakes might be served instead. And, for a quick, easy breakfast, you might just have a bowl of cereal.
My brother’s favorite for breakfast was French toast, or egg bread, as we called it. So, when we were growing up, my brother often made the dish for both of us. It could be tricky, though, determining just the right amount of grease to put in the frying pan. If it was too much, the first piece would come out soggy with grease, and if there was too little, the bread would scorch, filling the kitchen with smoke and leaving it smelling like burnt bread. Had smoke detectors been available in those days, it would have been beeping off the walls!
When we had egg bread back then, we just sprinkled granular sugar on top of it, so it tasted more like doughnuts than the French toast we serve today with maple syrup. How we could have used this Maple French Toast Casserole recipe back then. We could have baked it and then enjoyed the sweet treat, without the smoke and a burnt breakfast!
MAPLE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
7 cups cubed French bread
1/2 cup golden raisins, optional
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup warm whipping cream (70 to 80 degrees)
1/4 cup maple syrup
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Additional maple syrup
Place bread in a greased 2-quart baking dish; press down gently. Sprinkle with raisins (if used).
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in whipping cream and syrup; mix well. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and salt; add to cream cheese mixture.
Pour evenly over the bread; lightly press bread into egg mixture with a spatula. Cover; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until center is set and the top is golden brown. Serve with syrup. Makes 6 servings.
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