I Love A Big Breakfast On The Weekend

My hubby's life revolves around food, he thinks about his next meal before he is done the one he is eating!  He lives to eat, not the way it should be, eating to live.  Three days before the weekend he is thinking about what he is going to have for breakfast!  I don't know why, I live in the moment of OK I'm hungry what shall I eat, that's when I figure out what I am eating.  His mind is on food 24/7, and I have never known anyone like that but him.

So, while he was conjuring up what he wanted to eat for our weekend breakfast, he thought, get this, that I should make a loaf of homemade blueberry bread and make French toast out of it, yeah right that's what I want to do, slave in the kitchen on the weekend and make homemade bread to cut up and use for French toast.  When I make bread, I spend all day in the kitchen to make a beautiful loaf of bread, that will last for a few days so we can feast off of it, enjoy it, not cut it all up and bake it again! He loves blueberries and eats them every day for breakfast in his cereal, so I came up with a better, easier version, of what he wanted for breakfast, Baked Blueberry French Toast.  It's a very easy, make ahead before bed, bake the next morning casserole of French toast.
  Recipe below.

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 Simple ingredients, fresh blueberries, half and half, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, Texas toast.  I use Pam so nothing sticks to the pan.

 In a mixing bowl - Eggs and half and half.....

 cinnamon......

 and vanilla.

 I use my trusty old fashioned beater to mix it, I love this thing!  Don't have to drag out the mixer.

 It's all combined and ready to pour.

 I use Texas toast because it can stand up to the liquid mixture, it's a thicker cut of bread and I always use it making French toast.  Line up a few slices and cut on the diagonal.

 Wash and drain the berries.

 Sprinkle them in and behind the slices of bread, you want to them touch all the bread, and then toss some of them on top.

 It's now loaded with blueberries. Next, pour on the egg mixture, get behind and on top of the bread slices.

 There will be some in the bottom of the baking dish, that will soak up overnight and during baking.  WOW, that looks good already!

 Cover tightly with plastic wrap, put in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, take plastic wrap off ......

 cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees.

 While that was baking I started some maple sausages to go along with it.

Breakfast was served and we dug in to a wonderful French toast casserole with blueberries.  I dusted it with a little confectioner's sugar......

 served it with both blueberry and pure maple syrup and the sausages on the side.

 The French toast is crispy on the top with a smooth, light, custard texture in the center, perfect!

Baked Blueberry French Toast

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

4 eggs

1 cup half and half or milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 slices Texas toast (thick cut bread)

Directions

Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.  Wash the blueberries in a small colander, set those aside to drain.  In a medium mixing bowl, add the eggs, half and half, cinnamon and vanilla, whisk until all is combined.  Cut the bread slices on the diagonal.  Layer the slices crust side up in the baking dish. Layer the blueberries in between all the slices, front and back, then on the top last.  Slowly pour the egg mixture over the bread, be sure to get in between the slices and on top of the slices.  Some of the mixture will puddle in the bottom of the pan.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Take the plastic wrap off the baking dish and replace with foil.  Bake for 1 hour, as always all ovens are different and baking time will vary.  Uncover the dish for last 15 minutes of baking, so the top browns and crisps up. Serve with maple syrup. Makes 4 -6 servings.

NOTE:  This recipe can also be doubled, use a 9 X 13 baking dish.