Monday Menu ~ Baked French Toast

Put on your imaginations, because this will have no picture with it. You are going to have to imagine it in all its glory, then make it yourself to see what it looks like!

This is a great breakfast that you make the night before. It's a fabulous cinnamon/raisin baked french toast with a layer of caramelized apples. We like to have this on Christmas Eve (it's less than 6 months away!!) and on birthdays when we want to have a special breakfast but I don't want to work in the kitchen. This would also make a great "breakfast for dinner" meal, with some bacon and a big fruit salad. YUM!

Cinnamon-Raisin Overnight French Toast

Apple Filling:
2 TBSP butter
5 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 TBSP apple juice

French Toast:
1 loaf (16 oz.) sliced cinnamon-raisin bread
3 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
10 large eggs
1 TBSP butter
2 TBSP sugar

In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples and sugar, and cook for 20 minutes or until apples are deep golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in apple juice; cook 1 minute longer.

Grease a 13x9 glass baking dish. Arrange half of the bread slices, overlapping slightly, in dish.

In medium bowl, whisk together milk, salt, cinnamon and eggs until well blended. Pour half of the egg mixture over bread in casserole. Reserve 1/4 of apple filling. Cover and refrigerate to spoon onto casserole after baking. Evenly spread remaining apple filling over bread layer. Arrange remaining bread slices over apple filling. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread, gently pressing bread down with a spoon so it absorbs maximum amount of egg mixture. Dot top evenly with butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover dish and refrigerate overnight.

To bake, preheat oven to 325. Uncover casserole and bake 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Reheat reserved apple filling and spoon on top of french toast to serve. Makes 10-12 main dish servings.

This would also be great with a peach filling, blackberry filling, blueberry, mixed berry...whatever! If you are serving it for dinner, just make it in the morning and let it set in the refrigerator during the day. That soaking in of the egg mixture makes it oh-so-goo!

Enjoy!