French Toast Revisited

I love brunch. More importantly, I love dishes like French toast. There's something about the flavor combination of a little sweet, buttery, but still substantial. If I could, I would have French toast for every meal. And actually, this is possible. In fact, in college, I used to treat my housemates to French Toast quite often. Here are some of my favorite recipes. But because I don't really like "recipes" here's how to whip up some dishes without any stress. As a note, "some" in my recipes generally means "as much as you want."

First, the basic procedure for making French toast: in a bowl, mix a few large eggs, a little milk, some vanilla and cinnamon until well blended. Soak a couple pieces of bread in this mixture, long enough to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Finally, fry the soggy bread slices in melted butter in a skillet over medium heat, until they are a nice golden brown. If you don't want to fry the bread, you can put the bread in a glass baking dish, pour the egg mixture on top, and then bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, or until the bread has set.

French toast, believe it or not is easily adapted for people with food sensitivities. If you can't eat wheat, use a gluten free bread. If you can't eat eggs, use an egg replacement. If you can't have dairy, try soy or rice milk, or for a little more sweetness, almond or coconut milk.

Now is the fun part. Here are a couple different options to really spice up your French toast.

Mix up your bread. For the bread base, try using cinnamon raisin bread, crusty Italian bread, Hawaiian bread, honey wheat bread, frozen waffles, or biscuits. Changing the bread changes the texture, and makes it a whole new dish.

Get creative with your toppings. Think about everything you might put on your morning cereal: berries, raisins, peach slices, dried fruits, banana chips, diced apples, chocolate chips (I know I'm not the only person that puts chocolate chips on their cereal!), granola, chopped nuts, mixed tropical fruit, and canned pie filling (ok...I don't put pie filling on cereal, but it's good on French toast!). For a final touch, dust with powered sugar or cinnamon sugar. To make it really decadent, add a little scoop of whipped topping. Yum. Also, don't think that you always need to put syrup on your French toast. Apple sauce or butter, caramel sauce, yogurt, strawberry syrup, or any jelly can make a great "syrup." If they aren't the consistency to pour, just heat them up in the microwave for a couple seconds. For the yogurt, add a little milk and it pours very well.

Sandwich your toast. This is very elegant, but super simple. Take two pieces of bread, and spread a topping in between. Soak the entire sandwich in the egg mixture, and then grill it like you would a grilled cheese sandwich. Some toppings to try in between your bread slices can include: hazelnut topping, cream cheese (plain or flavored), peanut butter and bananas (or just plain peanut butter), and peanut butter and jelly.

Create a casserole. Think about everything you love to eat with your French toast, and throw everything in one dish. One of my favorite take alongs to staff breakfasts we have at work is a French toast casserole. And the best part is that it can be assembled the night before, and then thrown in the oven when I'm getting dressed, and it's ready when I am! Take a loaf of your favorite crusty bread and throw the cubes in a glass casserole dish. Top with the egg mixture and some maple syrup. Mix it well, and let it sit in the fridge over night. In the morning, heat up some microwavable bacon and sausage, chop it all up, and stir into your bread mixture. Then, chop up a brick of cream cheese and mix that in as well. Bake until set, and you have a complete breakfast!

Make a savory dish. It's amazing how similar French toast and quiche are. So, capitalize on that to make wonderful appetizers and lunches or dinners. I have found this works best with the casserole/baking method. Omit the vanilla and cinnamon in the egg mixture and replace with savory seasonings like garlic, Italian seasonings and chopped onions. If you like a little heat, you can add hot sauce too. Mix in sautéed vegetables like zucchini, spinach, asparagus, and peppers. Instead of breakfast meats, try ham chunks, smoked or flaked salmon, or grilled chicken. The combinations are endless. Top with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese, and bake the same way. You can also make savory lunches using the sandwich method. Take your favorite sandwich (ham and cheese, smoked gouda and tomato, and even meatloaf sandwiches), soak in a savory egg mixture, and grill as usual.

Savory French toast dishes can become elegant appetizers. Just pre portion into individual ramekins before baking, or bake like a casserole and serve in tea cups or shot glasses with a little fork. Start with the savory egg mixture with a crusty bread. Add toppings in any combination you want:

Smoked salmon, sour cream (or cream cheese), red onions, and capers

Cocktail sauce, shrimp, and a lemon slice

Top with canned corn, French fried onions, sour cream, and chopped onions

Top with a little hummus, chopped tomatoes, and black olives

Top with mozzarella cheese, black olives, chopped salami, and chopped roasted red peppers or pickled peppers. You can also mix in a little Italian dressing or balsamic to this one, but not too much balsamic, because it will turn the dish into an ugly brown color. It still tastes delicious, but the color might throw you off.

Start with a corn bread base and top with taco meat, salsa, and cheddar cheese, or top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and a little pre-made chili.

Think French toast for dessert. This leads to some of my family's favorite desserts. This all starts on the fact that French toast doesn't actually have to include plain bread. Here are some of my favorite desserts. (note: they all start with the traditional egg mixture, with vanilla and cinnamon)

Replace your bread with slices of angel food cake (store bought makes this very quick!). Top with a little maple syrup, sliced strawberries, and whipped topping. You can make the cake slices ahead of time and heat it up in the microwave and add your toppings when you're ready to serve.

Use banana nut bread as your base. For a topping, heat the following in a saucepan over medium heat: butter, brown sugar, and banana slices. Stir until the sugar is melted. Pour over the grilled banana nut bread. For an adult version, add a dash of spiced rum. Banana's Foster French Toast, anyone?

Start with sliced pound cake, heat up some hazelnut topping to make it pour easier, and top with a little whipped topping, and chocolate sauce or chocolate chips.

Go back to the angel food cake, and top with vanilla pudding, blue berry pie filling, and whipped cream.

Use a frozen waffle for the French toast, and top with a scoop of ice cream, your favorite ice cream toppings and whipped cream. Don't forget sprinkles and a cherry!

The combinations and possibilities are endless. You will be amazed at how easy it is to prepare, and your friends and family will be asking for the recipes.