Perfect for Summer Blueberry Banana Baked French Toast

Baked french toast takes a little bit of preparation the night before. Set up the dish and rest it overnight to allow the custard to soak deep into the bread. When you get up in the morning, slip the french toast into the oven. In less than an hour, you will have warm blueberry and banana goodness to serve to the whole family.

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread, sliced into 15-20 pieces
225 g / 1 cup Cinnamon Brown Sugar Spread
8 large Eggs
500 ml / 2 cups Milk
15 ml / 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
Pinch of Salt
250 g / 1 cup Blueberries, fresh
2 Bananas, peeled and sliced
30 g / 2 tbsp Granulated sugar, for dusting
2 g / 1 tsp Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Directions

1. Generously brush the bottom and sides of a deep 9” by 13” baking dish with the Cinnamon Brown Sugar spread.
2. Arrange the sliced bananas across the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries on top.



3. Spread the remaining Cinnamon Brown Sugar Spread onto both sides of the sliced bread. Arrange these pieces of bread to fit into the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries over top of the sliced bread.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the sliced bread in the baking dish. Press down on the bread to make sure it gets well-coated with egg mixture.



6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator overnight.
7. The next day, pre-heat the oven to 350°F(175°C). Remove the dish from the refrigerator. Remove the foil and dust the top of the french toast with the cinnamon and sugar.
8. Replace the foil covering. Poke a few small holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover from the dish.
9. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the custard filling is set, and the top is golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the baked french toast to sit for 5-6 minutes before cutting and serving with maple syrup or fresh fruit.

Chef Tips

• This dish is perfect for big family events.
• Once baked, slice the french toast into individual servings that you can re-heat and have any day of the week.
• If you’re short on time and can’t let this rest overnight, only spread cinnamon brown sugar spread on one side of the bread. This will allow the filling to penetrate the bread faster. Then, instead of placing it in the fridge, place it directly into a pre-heated oven.