Baked French Toast 

NOTE:  This needs to soak several hours to overnight, a plan ahead recipe.

This has become a comfort food in my house.  My daughter likes reheating a bowl of this for an afterschool snack.  It is something I can make on the weekend, and she will reheat for either breakfast or afterschool all week.

This recipe serves maybe 8, depending on serving size.

Ingredients:

1 loaf white bread, I use either the French bread available in all the large grocery stores or packaged, presliced French bread.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, or the reduces fat cream cheese

8 eggs, or the equivalent of low cholesterol carton eggs.

½ cup maple syrup, any kind works, if you can afford the real stuff, it is great in this.

1 cup milk, any kind.

1.       Grease casserole dish with Pam spray, butter, margarine, something.

2.       Slice the bread into cubes, this becomes a bit of a pull apart meal, so large bite size pieces.

3.       Place bread in casserole, as you do so, use a butter knife and put the cream cheese throughout the bread, just in bite size chunks, spread it around enough that each serving will get some.  There is no wrong way to do this.

4.       Mix your eggs, syrup and milk together in a bowl with a fork or whisk. 

5.       Pour over the bread, moving around to get the top of all the bread moist. 

6.       Cover the casserole and put in the fridge to soak for 3 or 4 hours, or overnight.  I find overnight very convenient.

7.       When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, leave it covered and bake about 45 minutes, it will be light golden brown.

Serve with more syrup if you like.  Refrigerate leftovers, reheat the rest the week and ENJOY.