Photo courtesy of Nan Kelley.
Dad’s big day is this Sunday, and while gifts are always appreciated, a home-cooked meal would be the thing my daddy would appreciate the most! Make Dad a great breakfast or brunch, sit down, and share a meal and some good conversation.
This little strata is so easy and so delicious. Make it up the night before and allow about 45 minutes for baking on the day of. The golden raisins and almonds add a lovely layer of fruit and crunch, and then the creamy clumps of cream cheese are heavenly. Add some bacon or sausage, fresh fruit and some real maple syrup to top it off, and you have a meal that shows Dad how much you care.
Happy Father’s Day to dads everywhere — your daughters and sons love you!
Nan Kelley’s Father’s Day French Toast Strata
Photo courtesy of Nan Kelley.
Ingredients:
4 cups day-old French bread, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup sliced almonds
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into ¼-inch cubes
3 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Maple syrup for serving
Directions:
Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish (make sure you use this size dish) with nonstick spray Put bread cubes in an even layer in dish. Sprinkle raisins, almonds and cream cheese chunks evenly over bread. Beat eggs in a medium bowl until blended. Add milk, ½ cup maple syrup and vanilla and mix. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Serve in squares with additional syrup.
Every week on Top 20 Country Countdown our host, Nan Kelley, counts down your favorite videos — but when she’s away from the studio, she’s likely to be found in her kitchen, creating healthy, delicious meals. Nan likes to keep it simple, cooking entire meals using only one pan. Her husband, Charlie, lovingly gave her the nickname “One Pan Nan,” which is also the name of her cookbook [get it HERE]. Check back every other week for a new recipe.
