Overnight Baked French Toast

Everyone is talking about Paula Deen having diabetes.  The announcement came at a time when many of us are already feeling guilty and trying to cut back after over-indulging during the holidays. 

Of course, these things are in the back of my mind when I cook.  Everyone loves a little splurge now and then -- there's nothing wrong with that. But some of our day-to-day recipes really could be lighter.  I can't wait to see interesting new recipes from Paula.

So when French toast loving company arrived, I was on the hunt for a recipe that I could prepare in advance.  There are tons of them. Paula Deen's five star recipe with 2 cups of half and half and a topping that include half a pound of butter leads the pack on Google.  I'm sure it's delicious, but I wanted to do something a little lighter.

I found the answer in a recipe from McCormick, the spice people.  It had four things going for it:

After a night in the fridge

it can be prepared in advance;
it's almost fat-free!;
it makes use of fruit;
and there's no heavy cream in it.

But would it taste like cardboard?

It was great!  We didn't miss the oil or heavy cream at all.  In fact, while I offered maple syrup and butter, no one even touched the butter. It's super easy to make, and I loved sliding it into the oven to bake while I was still staggering around pre-caffeine.  I switched it up a little bit to suit me, but this recipe is a no-brainer.
 

Overnight Baked French Toast

with Blueberries and Bananas

canola or light olive oil

8 slices bread (up to 3/4 inch thick)
5 eggs
3/4 cup milk (I used fat-free)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package Wyman's wild blueberries (frozen)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 bananas

The night before, grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish with just a bit of oil.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.  Place bread in an oven-safe baking dish.  Pour egg mixture over top.  Take a minute to turn each slice to be sure they're all covered with the egg mixture.  Cover and refrigerate.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 450. Uncover the dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile pour the package of Wyman's blueberries into a small pot, add the water and sugar.  Bring to a boil and simmer while the toast bakes.

To serve, top each portion with sliced bananas and ladle blueberries and sauce over top.

Serves four.