French toast for a crowd can be tricky — but this baked dish makes it easy to serve a lot of guests using the same ingredients. Whether you’re preparing a holiday brunch for friends or making a big breakfast for your family, this make-ahead dish is perfect. Top and serve with warm strawberry sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
Bread Pudding
1 loaf firm bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into small pieces
10 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
Additional tablespoon sugar and 3 tablespoons melted butter
Strawberry Sauce
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 cups strawberry preserves
*Orange extract can be substituted if desired
METHOD:
The night before:
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
Place half of the bread cubes in the baking dish in an even layer. Dot the bread cubes with an even layer of cream cheese pieces. Sprinkle the rest of the bread cubes over the cream cheese. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour mixture through a strainer to remove any eggy bits.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes, pressing the cubes firmly down into the liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle the melted butter over the cubes and lightly sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
As the bread pudding bakes, prepare the strawberry sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine strawberries and preserves. Gently heat just until the mixture is warmed.
When the pudding is done, serve it topped with warm strawberry sauce.
YIELD: 8 servings
