Baked Apple French Toast

This breakfast treat is a cross between bread pudding and traditional French toast. Did you know if you use stale bread when you make French toast, it will soak up the egg mixture more easily? If your bread is fresh, lightly toast it first.

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 large eggs*

5 1⁄2 cups milk*

2 tablespoons maple syrup

pinch salt

8 slices whole-wheat bread*

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 apples*

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vegetable oil (to grease aluminum foil)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl and, using the whisk or fork, mix well. Add the bread cubes and push the cubes down until the bread has soaked up most of the liquid, about 2 minutes. Set aside to finish soaking while the apples are cooking.
3. Put a medium, oven-proof skillet on the stove and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and, when it has melted, add the apples and cinnamon. Cook until the apples are tender and caramelized, about 7 minutes. (If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, put the cooked apples in a baking pan after this step.)
4. Put the bread mixture on top of the apples and, using a spatula, press down so that the mixture is flat. Carefully cover with aluminum foil that has been greased with oil.
5. Once the oven temperature has reached 375 degrees, put the skillet or pan in the oven and bake until the mixture is set, about 45 minutes.
6. Serve right away, drizzled with maple syrup, if desired

Nutrition information per serving: calories 390, protein 19 grams, carbohydrates 42 grams, fat 17 grams, sodium 347 milligrams, dietary fiber 4 grams