Creme Fraiche, Strawberry & Bacon Baked French Toast

Apologies as it has been about a week since my last post, but certainly that does not mean I have not been cooking.  Just as the case with anyone else, a lot has been going on and other aspects of life have taken precedence.  So I planned to make this meal a couple of days ago, when Michael’s friend from college came to visit to show off my cooking skills LOL. However, I never got the chance to make breakfast since they preferred to spend most of their time in Downtown Ann Arbor visiting the bars and reminiscing about the U of M college life…boys will be boys I suppose.  On the contrary I was living the nurse life and had to work my usual long shifts all weekend.  Though the hospital was not particularly busy, I’m still tired simply from having to wake up at 5 am. And as I’ve said already, I don’t sleep very well nights before work due to the little misses super innate way of knowing I will be gone the next day and doing all in her mighty suction cup power to keep me awake.

Now back to the French Toast, ahh, I love French Toast.  Not so much a fan of pancakes, which I rarely eat, but waffles and french toast are so my thing.  Knowing I had a loaf of Country French Bread sitting in the freezer, I wanted to create something with it before it went bad and this seemed like the perfect thing to use it all up. Note there are many different types of baked French Toast you can do, and there’s really no wrong way. In fact my very first time making creme fraiche French Toast was totally by accident. I actually wanted to make a strawberry and cream cheese French Toast, but quickly realized I was out of cream cheese, so instead of fully giving up on the dish I just used the creme fraiche that I had on hand. Very impressed by the results, it has become my way of making baked French Toast ever since. And why the bacon you may ask? Well because its bacon; salty bacon that can truly transform a dish. It’s pretty much your entire breakfast on in skillet: bread, fruit, protein, and sweets all in one…yum, yum!  Here is the recipe below…

Enjoy!

This African 🙂

Print Recipe

Creme Fraiche, Strawberry, and Bacon Baked French Toast

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American, American Fusion, French

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

45-60 min

Passive Time

30 min

Servings

people

Ingredients

French Toast

• 16 oz country french bread Day or two old is better
• 6 whole eggs
• 2 1/2 cups 2% milk You can use whole fat or half and half if you prefer.
• 7.7 oz creme fraiche
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 tbsp maple syrup I used organic
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Topping

• 1/4 +1 cup+tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour I like King Arthur Flour
• 3 tbsp softened flour I like to use Smart Balance Original dairy free butter because it's soft already
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 5 strips cooked bacon I used turkey bacon, cut or torn in small pieces.

Course Main Dish Cuisine American, American Fusion, French Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 45-60 min Passive Time 30 min Servings people Ingredients French Toast 16 oz country french bread Day or two old is better 6 whole eggs 2 1/2 cups 2% milk You can use whole fat or half and half if you prefer. 7.7 oz creme fraiche 1/2 cup cane sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 cup sliced strawberries 1 tbsp maple syrup I used organic 3 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt Topping 1/4 +1 cup+tbsp light brown sugar 1/4 cup flour I like King Arthur Flour 3 tbsp softened flour I like to use Smart Balance Original dairy free butter because it's soft already 1/2 tsp cinnamon 5 strips cooked bacon I used turkey bacon, cut or torn in small pieces.

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients, including a 12 inch cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper or 9x13 inch casserole dish.
2. Cut bread into small cubes and set aside.

   
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, cane and brown sugars using a whisk. Make sure to mix well.

   
4. Slice the strawberries, and mix maple syrup with creme fraiche.

   
5. Place half of the bread in skillet or dish. Top with strawberries, then add creme fraiche making sure to cover most of the bread and strawberries.

   
6. Add remaining bread. Pour egg mixture on bread, and using clean hands press the bread down so it soaks up eggs mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes.

   
7. In the mean time cook and crumble bacon, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make your topping for the French Toast. To do so mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter by hand. Crumble on top of bread mixture. Bake for 45-60 min. 10 min prior to the end of baking time top with bacon and continue to bake.

   
8. Remove from oven when done, let cool for 20 min.

   
9. Slice and top with confectioners sugar, whip cream and berries. Enjoy for breakfast or brunch.

   
10. Recipe slightly adapted from my new favorite cookbook by Chrissy Teigen called Cravings. Try it and comment. Bon Appetite This African

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