On our honeymoon, B and I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Napa Valley that offered amazing breakfasts every morning. Each breakfast was really decadent with three courses and all kinds of new foods that I hadn’t had before, and I remember those breakfasts as some of the best breakfasts that I’ve ever had. Since Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday this year, I decided to use it as an excuse to cook a fancier breakfast that I wouldn’t normally make. I made this French toast strata remembering that we had eaten something similar for the first time at the bed and breakfast. We haven’t had anything similar since, so I was really excited to try it out on my own. It turned out amazing! This recipe is basically a casserole version of French toast with cream cheese, raisins, and cinnamon sugar added in, and it’s a great comfort food. You make the casserole the evening before cooking it, giving the syrup mixture time to soak into the bread, and the end result is a really indulgent dish with a cinnamony rich, syrupy flavor. Served with some fresh strawberries, this is a fancy little breakfast that tastes wonderful.
French Toast Strata
Source: How Stuff Works (random, I know)
4 cups day-old Italian bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/3 cup raisins
3 oz cream cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Additional maple syrup, for serving
Fresh strawberries
1. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the bread cubes in the dish, and then sprinkle the raisins and the cream cheese evenly over the bread.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl until blended. Add the milk, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix well. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the strata.
4. Bake the strata, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until it is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Serve with additional maple syrup and fresh strawberries.
