Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

Recipe Rating:	63 Ratings5
Categories:	Breakfast Casseroles, Quick & Easy
Collections:	Member's Choice, Casserole Crazy
Serves:	8-10
Prep Time:	30 Min
Cook Time:	1 Hr

Ingredients

FRENCH TOAST
12 slc	bread, any kind or loaf of french bread
2 pkg	8 oz - cream cheese, room temperature
1 c	blueberries, fresh or frozen
12 lg	eggs
1 to 2 c	milk, add a little at a time until milk is absorbed by bread
1/3 c	maple syrup or honey
BLUEBERRY SAUCE
1 c	sugar
2 Tbsp	cornstarch
1 c	water
1 c	blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp	butter

Pinched by dianeandrews57, and 9,035 more.

Roberta Broussard

Well Seasoned

Pflugerville, TX (pop. 46,936)

robann

Member Since May 2010

Roberta's Notes:

This is a family favorite. It's really for breakfast but it's good enough for a dessert!

This would be great for that special holiday breakfast! If you have a lot of people visiting for the holidays, you could double the recipe and make 2 pans.

I have also posted a sugar free version of this recipe, so you can decide to use which one fits into your diet.

Comments from the Test Kitchen:

This recipe is the definition of breakfast decadence. We loved it with blueberries, but can't wait to try it again with blackberries and strawberries!

Directions

French Toast Casserole:
Spray 9 X 13 inch dish with Pam. Cut or tear bread into cubes and arrange in the bottom of dish

Cut up cream cheese into 1 in cubes. Drop the cream cheese cubes over the top of the bread. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the top.

In mixing bowl, combine 12 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1/3 cup maple syrup. Pour this mixture, a little at a time until the bread soaks up the milk but not soggy. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Blueberry Sauce:
You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate, then warm up before serving.

Stir together 1 cup sugar and 2 Tbls cornstarch in a medium sauce pan. Add 1 cup water and stir until smooth. Stir well so cornstarch won't be clumpy. Heat to boiling and stir 2-3 minutes until thickened.

Add 1 cup blueberries, simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until blueberries start to burst. Don't let them all burst. I like some of the blueberries whole.

Turn heat off the blueberry sauce and stir in 1 Tbls butter. Store in plastic or glass container and refrigerate until ready to use.

The next morning preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take casserole out of the refrigerator. Place covered cassrole in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until top is a golden brown and the center is set.

While the casserole is baking, you can heat up the blueberry sauce on top of the oven or microwave until warm. Serve over top of casserole.

Prep time:
30 min to put everything together
8-24 hours - refrigerate several hours or overnight until bread is soaked through with egg, milk mixture.
Cook time: 1 hour

Alternate Sauce, I call it cheating.
Take jam or preserves, what ever flavor of fruit you are using to make this. Put preserves in small sauce pan, add 1 Tbls cornstarch, mix until smooth, add additional fruit if desired. Warm in sauce pan until smooth and thickened. Serve over the french toast, ice cream or anything else you can think of.

Apparently, some people are getting soggy results. Add milk a little at a time until milk is absorbed by bread, you don't want it to be soggy before you bake it. If its soggy before you bake it, it will be soggy after you bake it.

Comments

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Wendy Rusch snooksk9

Nov 23, 2010

Ummmmmmmm this is omg total comfort right here!!! YUMMY...put it on the easter brunch menu!!!

Stacia Powers STACIA

Nov 23, 2010

I'm sorry - is there a step missing in here for the directions? This sounds delish and we can't wait to try it - Thank you for sharing!!!

Sandi Weiso Brown sis03

Nov 23, 2010

Hey, Roberta! Looks like another winner to me! Have you ever tried it with strawberries? Do you believe it might work? Some of our folks don't like blueberries (I love them!), so I was just wondering. I've had the similar sausage/cheese (turkey for us)breakfast casserole and we like it a lot. Keep it up, Girl!

Roberta Broussard robann

Nov 23, 2010

Sandi,

Yes, strawberries or any mixed berries would work (they have frozen mixed berries in the freezer section). Actually I think I put that hint in my sugar free version.

Roberta Broussard robann

Nov 23, 2010

Stacia,

I did leave out step 2. I added it as soon as you told me. Guess I was rushing too much. Thanks for letting me know. Hope you enjoy it.

Sandi Weiso Brown sis03

Nov 23, 2010

Thanks, Roberta! I hadn't gotten to the sugar-free recipe, yet, so missed it. Also, I happened to see, on the sidebar, someone else with a strawberry version--though I personally would rather have the blueberry or the mixed. ;)

Roberta Broussard robann

Nov 23, 2010

I looked at the strawberry version and it's kind of like mine, a few things are different about the french toast part. The biggest difference is that they only put the strawberry sauce on top and don't put any strawberries in the bread part. It does sound good though.

I also have a sauce that is kind of like cheating but works. Just take some jam or preserves, with or without sugar, put in a sauce pan, mix 2 tbls cornstarch, mix until well blended and then add some extra fruit if you want, warm until thickened and there you have it, sauce!

Deborah Masters DeeDeeM

Nov 23, 2010

Looks delish!

Sandi Weiso Brown sis03

Nov 23, 2010

Roberta, thanks for the observation on the strawberry version. I would definitely want some in the casserole itself. The sauce sounds like an easy way to do, too, since I have preserves and frozen whole strawberries! Your ideas just keep on keepin' on!

Robin DuPree robdupree

Nov 25, 2010

Yummy!

Roberta Broussard robann

Dec 14, 2010

I was looking at the Strawberry French Toast by Linda P., her recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar blended with the cream cheese, which sounds delicious. Also, her recipe calls for half and half instead of milk. I think I'll try the sugar and half and half in my version. I'm also going to try the strawberries instead of blueberries this weekend. Was thinking the strawberries would be good for New Years day morning.