Easter Make Ahead French Toast

Here we are just a few days before Easter.  While I love that it is already Spring, I'm not sure how I feel about having Easter in March this year. I feel I have so much more time to get ready, when there is more than two weeks between St. Patrick's Day and Easter.  

This week I am going to share two of my favorite Easter recipes that are both easy to make, and some of my families favorites.  The first recipe is Make Ahead French Toast.  It is such a great holiday recipe, because you put everything together the night before, and then pop it in the oven Easter morning while you are celebrating with family.  

You will need 

a loaf of your favorite bread (we love cinnamon raisin) 

4 to 6 eggs

1/2 cup milk 

vanilla 

cinnamon sugar (if desired) 

cream cheese (your preferred flavor) 

If you are making this for more than 6 people, double the recipe. 

You will need two slices of your chosen bread per person.  I have made this recipe is so many different ways over the years.  I will be sharing pictures from some of the different variations. 

On this particular day we did not have cinnamon raisin bread on hand, so I used Aunt Millie's Country Buttermilk bread.  My cream cheese of choice that day was strawberry, and added it to each of the bottom pieces of bread. 

On the top pieces of bread I added some cinnamon sugar.  

This picture was from a different day, but at the same step.  I wanted to fit more bread into my pan, so instead of using full pieces of bread, I squeezed in 12 half pieces.  Mix the eggs and the milk together in a bowl, and then pour it over the bread.  Cover the casserole dish with foil, and put it in the fridge overnight. 

In the morning, let the pan sit out for a few minutes so the casserole dish is not too cold when you put it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Once in the oven, bake for 30 minutes. I removed the foil the last 5 to 10 minutes.  I would put this in the oven before my kids looked for their Easter eggs, and when they were done  breakfast would be ready. 

I made this variation just a few years ago. I added cinnamon sugar and used regular cream cheese.

I think this year might have been my favorite version. I used cinnamon raisin toast, regular cream cheese, and then covered the toast with strawberries and syrup. 

I believe we had guests this particular year, which is why it looks a bit fancier.  I used thick bread, strawberry cream cheese, sliced strawberries, and Redi-whip.  

No matter how you decide to put together your make ahead french toast, it is always a great dish to serve for Easter morning.  

 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving - Make Ahead French Toast

 

If you are expecting gifts this Thanksgiving, Christmas, or really any time, then the recipe I am sharing today will be a game changer. 

I started making Make Ahead French Toast the night before a holiday years ago, and still make it several times a year.  It doesn't take long to prepare, and but then next morning all you need to do is put it in the oven.  Since I made it several times over the years, some of these pictures are of slight variations and versions I have made. 

For this recipe you will need

bread (any kind, white, wheat, raisin, specialty) 

4 -6 eggs

1/2 cup of milk 

vanilla 

cinnamon sugar mix (if desired) 

cream cheese (any kind) 

If you are making for more than 6 people you may need to double the recipe. 

You will need two pieces of bread per person.  You may want to make a few extras though.  Lay your bread pieces in the bottom of a casserole pan.  (or pans based on how many you make) 

Spread cream cheese on each of the bottom pieces.  I have used regular cream cheese and strawberry cream cheese on different types of bread.   My favorite bread to use is cinnamon raisin bread. 

Once the cream cheese is spread place another piece of bread on top.  If you only have plain bread but want to add cinnamon sugar, this is when yo would sprinkle it over the bread pieces. 

In the photo in the bottom, I cut the bread in half to so more would fit in my pan. 

In a bowl mix your eggs and milk mixture and then pour it over the bread.  

Cover the casserole dish with foil and place in the fridge over night.  

The next morning allow the dish sit for a few minutes so it does not go in the over cold.   Preheat the over to 350 degrees.     Bake for 30 minutes with foil on and for 10-15 more with foil off.  

I love to add some sliced strawberries on top of the French Toast and add some syrup.  What is really nice about this recipe it is extremely easy to adapt it.  It is also nice, because you can serve a delicious filling breakfast with ease, and it doesn't take time away from your guests. 

If you need something to do with your guests, I have several Thanksgiving Activities and Games currently in my Etsy Shop

I have printable games for both kids and adults in my shop The Thanksgiving Trivia Game was a lot of fun to make. I learned so much new info making it.   I plan on using the Thanksgiving Parade Scavenger Hunt while watching the parade this year.  If you have younger kids who need to keep busy, they might like to play the Thanksgiving Matching Game, Thankgiving Riddle Me This, or Thanksgiving Would Your Rather

Tomorrow I have an easy craft for kids, and an original Christmas gift idea to share with you.  See you then! 

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Make Ahead Stuffed French Toast

In mid March I shared a recipe for Make Ahead French Toast Casserole.  This recipe is similar, but not quite the same.  This time the bread is kept whole, and the french toast has a creamy filling.

You will need 2 pieces of bread per person.   This recipe tastes great with a cinnamon raisin  bread, but I did not have any on hand this weekend.  I used Aunt Millies Country Buttermilk Bread.    You can use any bread that you prefer. 

Spread all of  the slices of bread with cream cheese.   I spread the four bottom slices with strawberry cream cheese and the top slices with regular white.   If you like blueberries, this recipe would be wonderful with blueberry flavored cream cheese. 

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Place the top slices cream cheese side down on top of the bottom layer.  I made a cinnamon suger mixture from white sugar and cinnamon.   I am a Rachael Ray type of cook.  I did not measure but just eyeball the amount the sugar.    Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar liberally over the bread.  If you use a cinnamon bread as your base, you can skip this step. 

Mix 4-6 eggs and a 1/2 cup milk and pour over the bread.  I did miss some of the bread so after I took this picture I took a spoon and covered it more thoroughly.

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.  I turned my oven before the kids had their egg hunt.  

Bake the french toast for 30 minutes.

After we were done with the egg hunt the french toast was ready.   We added fresh sliced strawberries and Redi Whip that I got on sale this week at Meijer.  It was a simple but yet special breakfast for a special day. 

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