Baked Strawberry French Toast

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It’s that time of year where strawberries are becoming abundant and the pick-your-own farms are eager to have us grab their ruby gems, while still maintaining social distancing principals. I know that we will use our bounty to make strawberry jam, strawberry mango jam, strawberry rhubarb jam, and a few pans of this amazing strawberry french toast for the oven.

Can it be made overnight? Can it be prepped in advance? Can I use Frozen strawberries instead of fresh? This Baked Strawberry French Toast Casserole is SUPER yummy, decadently rich, and the answer to anyone who has questions about making this dish.  It can be made an hour before baking or the day before; neither will change the outcome. You can use either fresh berries or frozen, it doesn’t matter. You can’t possibly screw this recipe up and will amaze anyone who you serve it to. You can serve it with some fresh fruit and juice on a day that just screams family togetherness: give them something a bit “more” than cold cereal and make the day start off with a bang! They will have no idea on how easy it is to make, and you will WOW them!

Baked Strawberry French Toast Casserole

You will need:

• 12 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese
• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or other syrup

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon butter

Cube bread and place in your baking dish.

Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread.

Top with strawberries and remaining bread.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk and syrup, blending well.

Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake the strawberry french toast casserole at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown, and the center is set.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in strawberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst and turned the syrup a reddish pink. Stir in butter until melted. Serve sauce with the strawberry french toast.

Other great brunch recipes you might like:

• French Toast Waffle Recipe
• Baked Blueberry French Toast
• Instant Pot Country Egg Casserole
• Instant Pot Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites Ham and Cheese w/Basil