Recipe: Make-Ahead Stuffed French Toasts (Breakfast/Brunch ideas)

Michelle. Here are some make-ahead stuffed french toast recipes for breakfast or brunch menus. Assemble these the day before and bake in the morning just before serving. When I made the strawberry stuffed recipe for a neighbor's funeral gathering, I assembled it in disposable cooking trays. I sprayed the disposable trays with non-stick stray so the baked french toast would lift out easily. Instant, yummy food with no clean up for my friends. I hope these help.
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Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Makes 10 slices

You'll need a loaf of French or Italian bread that's at least 16" long to get slices thick enough to hold the strawberry and cream cheese filling.

Filling
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, at
room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

French Toast
1 loaf day-old French or Italian bread
1 1/4 cups fat-free egg substitute
(I used 7 or 8 beaten eggs)
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and almond extract or vanilla. Fold in the strawberries.

To make the French toast: Cut a small diagonal slice off each end of the bread and discard. Cut the bread diagonally into 10 thick slices. Cut a slit through the top crust of each slice to form a pocket. Divide the filling among the bread slices, stuffing each pocket with the cream-cheese mixture. Lay the slices in a 13" x 9" baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg substitute, milk, and vanilla. Slowly pour over the bread, then turn the slices to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

Turn the slices at least once while soaking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with no-stick spray. Place the bread slices about 1" apart on the sheet. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes per side, or until golden. Serve warm.

In a pinch, you can replace the confectioners' sugar with granulated sugar that has been powdered in a spice grinder or mini food processor.

After soaking, the stuffed French toast can be stored in resealable freezer bags and frozen for up to 1 month.
Place the frozen French toast on a baking sheet
coated with no-stick spray and bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes per side, or until golden.
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Outrageous French Toast

Ingredients:
16 slices inexpensive whole wheat bread, crusts
removed
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp. light Karo syrup
5 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla
sour cream
fresh or frozen strawberries

Over low heat, stir sugar, syrup, cinnamon, and
butter until melted and blended. Pour mixture into a 13"x9" pan, spread evenly on bottom.

Place 8 bread slices over mixture, squeezing to fit if necessary.

Place remaining 8 slices on top of first 8.

Beat eggs with milk and vanilla, pour over bread and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

To serve, cut into 8 servings, then flip over onto plate with a spatula, caramelized side up. Put a dollop of sour cream and strawberries on top.
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Baked Apple French Toast

Serving Size : 6

1 large loaf french bread (16 oz)
8 eggs
3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 1/4 tablespoon vanilla
5 granny smith apples
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with
vegetable oil spray. Slice bread into 1 1/2 inch slices.
Place bread tightly together in one layer in 9x13 pan.
Beat eggs lightly-add milk, 1/4 cup sugar, nutmeg and
vanilla and mix with whisk. Pour half of the liquid over
the bread.

Peel, core and slice apples into rings...place apple rings on top of bread to cover. Pour remaining egg mixture over apples. Mix remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over apples. Dot with butter. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Hawaiian French Toast Variation

Same recipe as above, except instead of apples, top with one medium, drained can of pineapples (chunks, rings or crushed) and sprinkle with grated coconut.
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Night Before French Toast Casserole

1 10 oz. long thin loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch
slices

Grease 9 x 13 baking pan with butter. Arrange bread slices in one layer in pan.

Beat:
8 large eggs
3 cups milk
4 tsp. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. vanilla

Pour over bread
Cover an refrigerate overnight.

To bake:
Remove cover
Dot with butter
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Bake in preheated oven 350 for 45-50 mintues or until bread is bubbly and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with syrup, yogurt of sour cream and fresh fruit.

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Blueberry-Stuffed "French Toast"

Ingredients:
12 slices of homemade-type white bread, crusts
discarded and the bread cut
into 1-inch cubes
2 8oz packages cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch
cubes
1 cup blueberries, picked over and rinsed
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk
For the sauce:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries, picked over and rinsed
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Arrange half the bread cubes in a buttered 13-by-9 inchglass baking dish, scatter the cream cheese over the bread, and sprinkle the blueberries over the cream cheese. Arrange the remaining bread cubes over the blueberries. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, the
syrup, and the milk.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture, and chill the mixture, covered, overnight. Bake the "French toast", covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and bake the French toast for 30 minutes more, or until it is puffed and golden.

Make the sauce: In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, the cornstarch, and the water and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until it is thickened. Stir in the blueberries and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the berries have
burst. Add the butter and stir the sauce until the butter is melted.

Serve the French toast with the sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
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French Toast with Raspberry Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 thick (1 inch) slices of French bread
2 cups crushed Corn Flakes
Confectionery sugar
Raspberry Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 pint fresh raspberries

In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Dip the bread slices into the mixture and then coat each slice with cereal.
Heat a buttered skillet and cook each piece until golden and crisp. To serve, place two pieces of toast on each plate and sprinkle with
confectionery sugar. Garnish with Raspberry Cream and fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Cream:
Ingredients:
1 package (10 oz.) frozen raspberries, thawed
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the raspberries with the sour cream and add the cinnamon.
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Baked French Toast

1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans, roasted
8-10 1-inch thick slices French bread
4 eggs, beaten well
1 3/4 cups milk

In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and syrup. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the pecans over the butter mixture. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on top of the nuts. Set baking dish aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs and milk. Pour egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup pecans over top of bread slices. Cover and refrigerate the
mixture for 2 to 24 hours. Remove cover from baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center appears set and the top is slightly browned. Let the French toast stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sliced fresh fruits;
bananas, strawberries or maple syrup. Serves 8 to 10.
Enjoy!!!
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Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

1 8-oz. Cup soft cream cheese
1 loaf (16+ slices) white potato bread
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
12 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cup milk

Trim crusts from bread slices. Spread soft
cream cheese over each slice, and then
cube bread into 1" cubes. Grease 12x9x2"
pan. Place half of the bread pieces into
the pan. Sprinkle blueberries over the
bread. Top with remaining bread cubes.
In a mixing bowl beat eggs, then add
milk and syrup and mix well. Pour milk
mixture over the bread. Cover and
refrigerate overnight. Remove form
refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Cover with foil and bake 30-35 minutes
at 350 degrees. Remove foil and bake
25-30 minutes more or until golden
brown and firm. Cut into squares, top
with blueberry sauce and serve 6-8
guests.

Blueberry sauce:
2 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tbsp. Butter

In a medium saucepan, stir together
cornstarch and sugar; add water and boil
for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in
blueberries and reduce heat to simmer
for about 10 minutes or until berries
bursts. Stir in butter until it melts and
serve over the French Toast.
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Ham and Pineapple french toast

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1tbsp. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 loaf french bread (12 slices 1 inch thick)
3 slices Boneless Ham (cut to a medium thickness)

Spray a 9 by 13 baking pan with non stick cooking spray.
Set aside.

In a bowl beat eggs, milk and sugar. Set aside. In a separate bowl mix cream cheese and pineapple. Set aside. Cut bread into one inch slices.

Cut ham slices in half to fit bread slices. Divide cream cheese mixture and spread evenly on one side of 6 of the bread slices. Top with a ham
slice and another slice of bread. Dip each "sandwich" into egg mixture.
Place in baking pan, cover and refridgerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with warm maple syrup.

Number of servings: 6 "sandwiches"
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Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

4 thick slices of bakery style bread
Strawberry Jam
Cream Cheese - softened
6 eggs
1/2 cup Vanilla

On two slices of bread spread a thick layer of cream cheese On the other two slices of bread spread a thick layer of jam. Make a cream cheese and jelly sandwich Beat 6 eggs and vanilla. Dip each sandwich into batter

Place on medium setting on greased frying pan and
cook until brown. Make sure each side is browned
evenly

Transfer to plate cut into triangles and heavily sprinkle with powdered sugar

Top with freshly sliced strawberries.
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