Recipe: French Toast Soufflé

French Toast is one of those things I love, but rarely make. I can go into all kinds of reasons, but it really boils down to not being able to figure out how all of us can sit down and eat together. When the food is still hot.

A few years back, my friend Kathy (the kids call her Sass) gave me a recipe for French Toast Soufflé. It’s a great solution to the hot food problem. And every time I’ve made it, it’s been a hit. When I made it again this week, it didn’t disappoint.

Remember that not-so-fabulous bread I made? I knew when it turned out kind of “meh” that it would be perfect for this recipe. (I’m trying that bread recipe again today, FYI.)

But you don’t have to make some not-so-fabulous bread to have French Toast Soufflé. You don’t even have to have French bread. A loaf of Texas Toast works great!

Whatever kind of bread you use, cut it into cubes,

and spread it evenly in a pan.

Here’s quite possibly the yummiest part: beat a softened bar of cream cheese until smooth.

Add eight (yes, eight) eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each one. It’ll look all happy and bubbly like this.

Then you add half and half, milk, vanilla, and…maple syrup and mix some more.

Pour the maple-flavored-cream-cheese goodness over the bread cubes, doing your best to soak all of the bread.

The bread will be swimming in this maple-flavored-cream-cheese-goodness for a while. Cover and set in the fridge overnight (or several hours) to let everything get all happy.

 

Set the soufflé on the counter for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. Bake. Brown.

Serve with powdered sugar and more syrup.

Try not to eat it all at once!

French Toast Soufflé

10 cups (usually a whole loaf) one-inch cubed sturdy white bread (Texas Toast, French bread, etc.)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

8 large eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

2/3 cup half & half

1/2 cup maple syrup, plus more for topping

1/2 tsp vanilla

powdered sugar

Place bread cubes in 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add milk, half & half, 1/2 c. maple syrup & vanilla, mix until smooth. Pour cream mixture over bread. Cover & refrigerate overnight (or several hours).

To bake, remove bread mixture from refrigerator, let stand on counter for 30 min before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 50 min or until set. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with hot maple syrup.

*I have split into two pans and served one, frozen the other (before baking). Another way to add to your freezer meal stash!