Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon

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Since I’m not particularly religious, I tend to rank holidays in terms of presents, activities, and food (not necessarily in that order). Therefore, I am very much looking forward to this Sunday, since Easter ranks pretty high in all three of these categories. I can’t wait to spend what Wikipedia calls “the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church” tearing through my Easter basket, crashing my neighborhood Egg Hunt, and going to town on a Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon:

Easter memories are some of the happiest that I have of any holiday. My mom spoiled my siblings and me by putting together insanely large Easter baskets, organizing brunch, and setting up an elaborate Easter Egg Hunt every year. Unfortunately, the Easter Egg Hunt has recently been discontinued. I’d like to say that it’s because my siblings and I haven’t been able to spend Easter together for the past couple years, but that would be a lie. Excluding the Easter I missed to go to a Britney Spears concert in San Francisco, my family always manages to spend the holiday together. I’m pretty sure my mother just couldn’t bear to continue watching her full-grown children shamelessly grab the back of each other’s shirts and trip one another in an attempt to get the most colored plastic eggs. I guess I can’t blame her. (And I’m sorry, Mom.)

I suppose I can live without the Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday as long as there is still brunch involved. In case I’ve never mentioned it before, brunch is my favorite meal. The reasons for this are obvious: It rarely takes place before 11:30 am (read: extra beauty sleep), there are usually both sweet and savory options, and you are allowed to have multiple cocktails midday sans judgment. What’s not to love? So, when Sunday rolls around, I will be sleeping in, popping champagne, and making a Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon:

I suggest you do the same.

This Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon is practically the second coming.* A hybrid of French toast and bread pudding, it is sweet, sticky heaven in a baking dish. I think it’s the combination of textures that makes this French Toast Bake so irresistible. A crunchy, brown sugar laden exterior reminiscent of cinnamon toast gives way to a fluffy, cinnamon custard-soaked interior. Baking crispy bacon into this glorious creation was truly a game changer. Its salty goodness perfectly balances the dish, leading to sweet and savory bliss. Booyah.

In addition to being mind-blowingly awesome, this Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon is incredibly simple to make. You can do all the prep work (which is minimal), the night before, and then just pop it in the oven the next morning and wait for your house/apartment to start smelling like a churro factory. Honestly, it’s worth making it for the smell alone. While it doesn’t require any extras, feel free to serve your French Toast Bake with fresh berries or some scrambled eggs. You will also be pleased to know that it pairs very nicely with both champagne cocktails and Bloody Marys. You’re welcome.

Staying in is the new going out, so put on your best pastels this Sunday and get cooking! You can even set up your own Easter egg hunt if you’re so inclined. However, if you do go down this road, please consider a helmet. Grown-up Egg Hunts can be dangerous, especially when there is alcohol involved…

*Inappropriate?

Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon: (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 loaf Italian Bread (preferably stale), cut into 1-inch cubes (you can also use another type of bread. Duh.)

8 pieces thick cut bacon

8 eggs

1 ½ cups half and half

1 ½ cups 2% milk

1 cup plus 3 tbsp dark brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp salted butter

Maple syrup for serving

Preparing your cinnamon French toast bake with bacon:

-Slice your bread into cubes. If you are an uber planner, you can let them sit out overnight to get extra stale.

cinnamon-french-toast-with-bacon-step-by-step-recipe

-Fry up the bacon in a large skillet until crispy, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When cool, crumble bacon into small pieces and toss with the bread cubes.

-Transfer the bread cubes with bacon to a greased baking dish.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, milk, 1 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

-Pour the mixture over the bread. Cover your French toast bake and refrigerate it overnight. If you’re not a planner and you want to make this NOW, refrigerating your French toast bake for 2-3 hours should cut it.

*Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

-Before baking, dot the top with the butter and sprinkle with 3 tbsp brown sugar.

-Cover the baking dish loosely with tin foil. Cut two slits in the foil to allow the steam to escape and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown (and your house/apartment smells like a churro). Serve warm with maple syrup and prepare for total world domination. God bless carbs.