Mascarpone French Toast Bake

Have I mentioned I'm not a morning person? I wanted to get this amazing French Toast Bake recipe to y'all ASAP, but my alarm went off Monday morning and that lovely feeling of being hit by a bus overwhelmed me. I knew that (most) productivity for the day was lost.

So thankfully for you and me, Tuesday is here. I'm much more alert and ready to share one of the best things I've eaten for breakfast since those New York bagels I miss so much - an easy, make-ahead, layered French Toast Casserole.

Breakfast dishes that can be prepared ahead of time are a gift, and this one took less then 15 minutes to prepare the night before. When morning comes, grumpy me can just throw it in the oven and magically, in about 45 minutes, my mood is bound to change. This recipe has a special little surprise that makes it stand out from the other breakfast casseroles out there - Mascarpone cheese.

Mascarpone is essentially the cheese used in tiramisu - so if you like a nice, creamy, milky, slightly sweet cheese layered between two baked pieces of Texas Toast, you will love this.

Here we are, 9 p.m. Saturday. A few glasses of wine deep.

And 11 a.m. Sunday. A few cups of coffee deep.

Add a dusting of powdered sugar and a nice drizzle of maple syrup to finish it off beautifully. Serve this with savory sausage, fresh fruit and tangy mimosas for a tasty Mother's Day brunch!

 

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Mascarpone French Toast Bake

• ½ cup melted butter (1 stick) 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 1 loaf Texas toast 
• 5 eggs 
• 1½ cup milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• Powdered sugar and cinnamon to taste 
• 1 8 oz container Mascarpone cheese 

1. Melt butter in a medium-sized microwaveable bowl. Add brown sugar into the melted butter and stir together. Pour into 9x13 pan, spreading evenly to cover the bottom.

2. Whisk together five eggs in a large bowl. Add milk and vanilla to egg mixture. Add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar to egg mixture (optional).

3. Spread even layer of Texas Toast on butter and brown sugar layer. Add dollops of Mascarpone all over the top of the bread layer. Ladle half of the egg mixture on to the bread and Mascarpone. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the egg. Spread second layer of Texas Toast, ladling the second half of egg mixture. Spread thin layer (or scatter a few chunks) of butter over the top of the toast. Sprinkle lightly with white sugar & cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top should be crusty, middle should be soft and moist. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy.