I’m a bit indecisive in real life, and this recipe proves it. Yesterday I wasn’t sure quite sure whether to make Raspberry Bread Pudding or Raspberry Baked French Toast, I came up with a recipe that is a bit of both. The basic recipe is based on my Baked French Toast, with a few minor tweaks. I cut down on the egg content and added sugar because I wanted it lighter and sweeter. I used bread from my leftover Hawaiian Sweet Bread, which gave it an even sweeter taste. And of course – I added those luscious raspberries. I wasn’t even sure what to call it, because it’s not a true bread pudding nor is it a French Toast. So, with a bit of creative license I’m calling it Raspberry Baked French Strata. It can be served as a dessert or as a breakfast bake. Whatever you call it or however you eat it, it’s delicious!
Frugal Tips: Stale bread is great for recipes like this! Never throw it away. If you don’t want to use it up right away, throw it in the freezer for later. Just thaw and use.
- 1 loaf French bread, cubed (or any kind of stale or day-old bread)
- 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 2½ C. milk
- 1 C. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 6 oz. raspberries (or more, if you have them)
- Grease a 9×13 casserole dish or cake pan. Put half of the bread crumbs in the pan, spreading out evenly. Top with cream cheese slices. Add the rest of the bread cubes. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, butter, sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the top of the bread cubes/cream cheese. Pat everything down into the pan to ensure it all gets moistened. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least on hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press raspberries gently into the bread mixture, reserving a few for garnish if desired. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
[...] Photo Credit: Frugal Bites [...]