Baked Caramel-Banana French Toast

This is a delicious, affordable breakfast recipe that my son absolutely loves. If you are a busy mom who has a screaming child telling you they are hungry in the morning, make this recipe the night before. You must let this refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and it is suggested to let it sit over night in the fridge. This does make it easy for the morning, as there is no prep time. Just stick it in the oven and let it cook for 35-40 minutes.  If you love French Toast, this recipe has just the right spin to introduce you to a new way of looking at your favorite breakfast food!

Baked Caramel-Banana French Toast
Cost Per Serving: $1.24 (Makes 8 servings)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours (recommended overnight)

Substitutions: I used light brown sugar instead of dark brown. I also used salted butter. This recipe calls for rum, which is optional. I did not use it in my recipe. I used white French rolls instead of the Challah bread. If you are like me, and are asking “What the heck is Challah bread?” let me help you out. Challah bread is Jewish braided bread and is popular on Sabbath and Jewish holidays.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark rum, optional
• 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
• 1 loaf challah or white bread (about 20 oz.), cut or torn into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Step #1: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and rum, if desired and stir until smooth.

Step #2: Once the ingredients have a smooth texture, remove from the stove, stir in the bananas and set aside.

Step #3:  Scatter half of bread in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Step #4: Spoon caramel-banana mixture from step #2 evenly over bread. Top with remaining bread. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Whisk in half and half, vanilla and salt.

Step #5: Pour the egg, half and half, vanilla and salt mixture over the bread. Make sure to take a flat spatula and press down on the bread to make sure it's all coated. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step #6: (If you make this recipe the night before, this the is the step you will complete in the morning) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Let baking dish stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the foil and bake until puffed and golden and a thin knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Since I used white French bread rolls, I had to let It cook for about an hour before the knife came out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I love this recipe for its diversity. My husband ate it cold the following night with whip cream, and I had it as a small snack for brunch. However you eat it, it's delicious. The one thing I will point out about this recipe is to make sure the knife comes out clean. If you don't, you will have a soggy egg mess on the first layer.

You can find the original recipe HERE

Do you have other great breakfast recipes to share with busy moms? Leave them in the comments below!