Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? National French Toast Day is today. Celebrate it sweet or savory.
Savory, you say? Sure. Sauté up some sweet onions and sliced mushrooms. (A combo of oyster, shiitake, & cremini makes mushroom mahhhvelousness.) Season with thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Serve over your French Toast (no nutmeg or cinnamon, please, in a savory version).
Typically, I am a traditionalist, preferring my French toast served with 100% pure maple syrup. (For those who do not enjoy maple flavor, go for a homemade blueberry sauce!)
French toast is also good with strawberries and whipped cream, too. (Then again, what isn’t!?!) Plus, here’s a fun variation I concocted 20 years ago. It’s a great dish to serve for brunch as you prepare it the night before.
Apple Sausage Baked French Toast
1 lb. bulk pork sausage (mild or sage)
3 large Cortland apples, peeled, cored & cut into ½” slices
6 x-large eggs
1½ c half-and-half or milk
1 c whipping cream
½ c 100% pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
12 slices wide French bread (sliced ¼ – ½” thick) or favorite rye or other bread
Additional 100% pure maple syrup, for serving
Cook sausage over med heat in a large skillet, breaking up into small pieces; remove and set aside. Add apples to skillet; cover and cook quickly 2 min just to quickly brown in the remaining pork drippings, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, beat eggs, dairy, maple syrup and spices together. Arrange half the bread slices in a single layer in a well-buttered 13x9x2” baking dish. Distribute the sausage, then apples over the top. Arrange remaining 6 bread slices on top and pour the egg mixture over it all. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours). Remove from refrigerator 30-60 minutes before placing in oven. Uncover and bake 45-50 minutes at 350°F till eggs are set. Serve with warmed maple syrup on the side. Makes 6 double-slice servings.
KISS Tip: For the holidays, go ahead and include some cranberries in with your apples!
