A quick look at the upcoming events on my calendar revealed that I’ve got quite a few house guests visiting over the next few weekends. Another glance at my calendar and I realized that it was March - uh-oh. For those of you who have images of Vermont that includes rolling green hills, bright fall foliage, or blankets of glistening snow, visiting in March can be a very rude awakening. It’s muddy, icy, wet, and cold.

Now that I’ve worried Trish that our friends and family are going to be calling to cancel their plans because of my account of the dreary weather, I’ll share a trick that I’ve got up my sleeve to make sure that our guests wake-up happy: breakfast.

Having traveled all over the U.S. (including four cross-country drives), I feel confident in saying that Burlington, VT has to be one of the best breakfast cities in the states. Within about four blocks of my downtown digs I’ve got a bunch of great spots to start the day, with my vote for favorite going to Pennycluse (and take-out croissants at Mirabelle’s running a close second).

Of course, it’s nice to whip up a home-cooked meal, especially if your guests arrived on a late-night flight. A while back I posted a recipe for Monte-Cristo Sandwiches, inspired by an outstanding brunch at Prune (NYC). While the monte cristo is an outstanding morning indulgence, it can be a little difficult to create for a larger crowd. So I took a classic casserole, the french toast bake, added a bit of a twist and ended up with a super-easy, top-notch recipe that will make any guest feel at home.

recipe notes:

• Classic french toast is one of those recipes designed to use up bread that’s a bit past it’s prime (along with bruschetta, croutons, breadcrumbs, etc.). But for a special occasion I reallly think it is worth heading out and buying a nice loaf of brioche or challah - the texture can’t be beat.
• If you notice in my photo, this one got just a bit charred, so in the final broiling step keep a close eye on things!
• This is a great meal on it’s own, but a pairing of scrambled eggs and coffee sends it over the top.
• We’ve got a great time-saver here; you can put together this casserole the night before, place it in the refrigerator and bake it off first thing in the morning.

french toast bake

(serves 6-8)

• 1 loaf of challah or brioche
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 pound sliced ham (from deli)
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or another favorite)
• 1-2 cups maple syrup
• 1/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar

Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a large casserole dish.

Slice the bread into 1/4″-1/2″ slices. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip the bread slices in the batter and then place them in the bottom of the casserole dish in a single layer - you can scrunch and tear to get a nice layer without gaps.

Layer all of the ham over the slices and then cover with cheese. Dip the remaining bread slices in the batter and arrange on top of the ham and cheese to cover. Drizzle over about 1/4 cup maple syrup (reserving the rest for service).

Loosely cover the casserole with foil and bake for 55 minutes. To finish, place the casserole directly under the broiler and broil on high for 3 minutes - you just want it to crisp up a bit, so keep your eye on it! Place the confectioners sugar in a fine mesh sieve and then lightly tap the sieve over the casserole for a nice dusting of sugar on top. Serve immediately with maple syrup as garnish.

more french toast options:

Smitten Kitchen: Boozy Baked French Toast

101 Cookbooks: Gold Coast French Toast

Tagged as: breakfast, parties

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