13. Overnight Oven-Baked French Toast

From 2005 Southern Living Annual Recipes

Every morning, even on weekends, I eat a Special K bar, but every now and then, I get a craving for a "big breakfast." And, I happened to have all of the ingredients for this dish already on hand.

The bread soaked up all of the egg mixture overnight, and the pieces puffed up beautifully when cooked. This would be a great dish for guests, since you just pop it in the oven and forget about it.

I love the combination of sweet and salty, so I balanced this out by serving it with smoked sausage.

1 (16-ounce) French bread loaf
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

Cut bread loaf into about 10 (3/4-inch-thick) slices.

Spread butter evenly over one cut side of each bread slice.

Arrange bread, butter side up, in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish.

Whisk together eggs and remaining ingredients; pour over bread, pressing slices down. Cover and chill for at least eight hours.

Remove bread slices from baking dish and place on lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden.