Strata? Casserole? I call it delicious!

I have a make-ahead recipe for a French toast casserole-bake-strata-thingy that I love because it is delicious and makes breakfast for guests seem somewhat effortless.  Unless my guest is my brother Nick.  He's never been the biggest fan of eggs and when I made this I learned he also isn't a big fan of wet bread.  Oh well.  Nick can fend for himself.

I found the original recipe in a Better Homes & Gardens Favorite Recipes from Country Inns cookbook.  But I didn't love it love it...just kind of liked it loved it.  It had potential.  So I found another recipe from www.allrecipes.com and took ideas from both and then added some stuff that I like.  Now it is love love.

Quick to throw together the night before, toss it in the oven in the morning, serve with fruit and ham or whatever floats your boat.

Stuffed French Toast Casserole

1 one-pound loaf unsliced French bread
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, cubed
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups half & half
1 cube of butter, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup real maple syrup
maple syrup and/or confectioners' sugar to top

Cut French bread into cubes*.  Melt 2 Tbsp butter and spread in bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking dish.  Put half bread cubes in baking dish.  Top with cream cheese cubes and then remaining bread cubes.

In mixing bowl combine eggs, half & half, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup and remaining 6 Tbsp melted butter.  Mix on medium until well combined.  Pour slowly and evenly  over bread and cream cheese.  Press slightly with spatula.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove casserole from oven and let rest while oven preheats to 350 degrees F.  Remove plastic wrap from baking dish and place sheet of aluminum foil loosely over casserole. Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until top is golden brown.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Top with confectioners' sugar or maple syrup to taste.

* Couple of notes about the bread.  I like to get the kind in a plastic sleeve.  The crust tends to be more tender.  I also cut the bottom crust off altogether and do not use it in this recipe.  And I like my cubes to be about 3/4".  They offer more surface area and better absorption of the egg mixture.

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