Baked French Toast

French toast is my favorite! Have you ever had over night baked french toast? It's not like your traditional fried french toast, it's more like a custard bread pudding-like french toast. The insides will be soft and delicious, especially with this cream cheese filling. I have posted other recipes before, but here is another version I came up with. Brown sugar, orange, pecan with cream cheese over night french toast. Mmm mmm mmm.
This would be perfect for Holiday guests staying over the weekend, just double the recipe so there will be enough to go around.

12 slices day old french bread loaf (sliced 1" thick)
5 eggs
2 1/2 Cups milk
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbl brown sugar
Zest and juice from 1 orange
1/2 Cup chopped pecans

additional pecans and zest for garnish

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; set aside. In a mixer combine cream cheese, brown sugar, zest and juice, mix well until softened. Spread some of this between half of the french bread slices, top with a second slice to make a sandwich, sprinkle with some pecans. Arrange sandwiches in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour egg mixture over all in pan (the bread will absorb most of this by morning). Cover and refrigerate for 8 hrs or overnight. Remove each sandwich from pan and place on a lined baking sheet. Garnish with additional pecans and zest. Bake uncovered at 350' for 35-40 mins.

*You can also see this at the Well Fed Network.



ready to rest and soak overnight


Space saving tip: use your cooling racks to make an extra shelf in the fridge!


ready to bake




*grrr, my photos are cut off, so click them to see it all

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