We don’t post breakfast recipes very often…probably because it’s the easiest meal to skip or run out of time to eat. My breakfast is usually a piece of fruit and/or coffee. However, I absolutely love breakfast. Pancakes, french toast and waffles are a carb lover’s dream! Hash browns too ;). So when I saw this recipe monthsss ago I was eager to try it.
At first glance I thought the recipe may be a tad labor intensive. But it really wasn’t. It came together quickly and it tasted delicious. Basically the same steps as traditional french toast but a million times better because of the strawberries and cream cheese. Ahh cream cheese. If I were stranded on a deserted island with only 5 things, 1 of them would be cream cheese. It just makes everything taste good.
The only negative: Kara, Cliff and I made our Strawberry French Toast on a Sunday. I had a bite or 2 but quickly moved on to the next recipe planned for the day. There were several pieces leftover and my plan was to have them for breakfast the next couple of mornings. Never happened! For me every morning is a mad dash out the door to catch the train. The alarm goes off at 5, I snooze until 6, bargaining with myself on which things I can pass on that day: showering, combing hair, etc. Once it hits 6 I race around the house to get out by 6:45. Same thing every morning…never fails. Is this everyone’s life? I just don’t have time for breakfast!
But I plan to try this recipe again…this time on a Saturday so I can enjoy it on Saturday AND Sunday. And maybe even call in sick Monday just to enjoy another piece.
Note: The original recipe yields 4. We did not alter any ingredients or measurements but used smaller pieces of bread. We got 10 or 12 pieces of french toast. I recommend the smaller rolls because they’re filling.
Here’s what you’ll need
Start by adding sugar to the berries and let them macerate
Add in the softened cream cheese and mix it all together
Should look something like this…
Now for the french toast dippy stuff–technical term. It’s what makes french toast good.
Add in the vanilla. And use the good stuff. ALWAYS USE THE GOOD STUFF!
Flour goes in too
And cinnamon. For warmth of course!
Now form pockets in your rolls/bread. Don’t slice all the way through!
Spoon in the cream cheese/strawberry mix
Now put them in the dippy stuff. Coat each side and give the bread enough time to soak in the liquid
Place them on a plate until you’re ready to start cooking them
And here we go. Use some butter to grease your skillet
I had really high expectations for this stuffed french toast and I was COMPLETELY satisfied!
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
For the Toast:
- 4 thick slices bread, such as challah (we used 10-12 Parker House Rolls from TJ’s)
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- unsalted butter
- maple syrup, powdered sugar and additional fresh strawberries for serving (optional)
Instructions
- To make the filling, combine the sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside to macerate, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until well blended.
- To prepare the toast, carefully slice a pocket into the bread, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the flour, cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth.
- Fill the pocket of each slice of bread with some of the filling mixture. Place the filled slices of bread in the egg mixture, soaking for about 30-40 seconds per side. Remove the bread and allow the excess batter to drip off. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining bread.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a heated skillet and swirl to coat. Add the filled slices of toast to the skillet in a single layer. Cook until light golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries as desired.