Every year we get far away friends together for Christmas, after the holidays. We usually do this in January but schedules are challenging to coordinate…so it is Christmas in February.
It is usually a hockey filled weekend, NHL Center Ice on the XBox, NHL on tv, and a night at the Reading Royals…. oh, forgot the best part… Saturday morning Shady Maple breakfast buffet. Gluttony is a sin and we misbehave at Shady. The upside… after breakfast there is no need need to prepare lunch and we catch dinner at the Royals game.
For Sunday breakfast, I wanted to try an egg & bread bake. I have heard of easy recipes prepped the night before and baked off for breakfast. If you know me you know I despise eggs and would never make this recipe for the two of us.
In my weekly email to my clients, I asked for a tried and true recipe and received a few. I wanted to combine all 3 to make my own but thought it best to sort of stay in the guidelines for the first one just to test the waters. I did fudge with the this recipe a bit based on what was on my shelves. So, what follows is an adapted recipe from an uber dynamic chic (her ‘miss must haves’ blog here).
christin’s killer baked blueberry cream cheese french toast adapted by phoebe canakis
- day-old bread – I used a large loaf of Greek Easter Bread that was freezer bound : cut up in pieces or torn
- 1 cup fresh/frozen blueberries – preferable local and/or organic
- 1 package of low fat cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz non-fat greek yogurt
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups organic milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
layer 1/2 of the bread cubes in a prepared dish. use your judgment to determine the size of dish you need, based on the amount of bread you use.
mix the softened cream cheese with the yogurt then add the blueberries.
dollop the cheesy, blueberry mixture on top of the first layer of bread. take the remaining bread and cover the first layer.
mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, salt, maple syrup, & cinnamon pour on the bread & cheese mixture.
cover and refrigerate overnight. bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the center is firm and lightly browned.
serve warm with maple syrup and smiles.