We love breakfast at our house but admittedly anything more than cereal or frozen waffles can be a challenge during the week when trying to get the kids out the door by 7AM! So we tend to make up for it on the weekends which is just fine with everyone!
An easy to make favorite is Baked French Toast with Mixed Berries. Both my boys love berries of any variety so I used a combination but if you lean towards one variety or the other, you can forgo the mix and just use what you like.
Who says pie plates are just for baking pies?
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis's recipe)
Ingredients
3 eggs
3 cups whole half and half
¼ cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
pinch fine sea salt
½ lemon, zested
6 slices whole wheat bread (you can use Challah or Sourdough) cut into one inch cubes
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen, thawed, and drained mixed berries—I used both fresh strawberries and frozen mixed berry combo which had raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
Directions
Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 9 baking dish or a pie pan with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or large bowl beat the eggs until frothy. Add the half and half, agave nectar, Chinese Five Spice, salt, and lemon zest and combine until well mixed. Turn off the mixer and gently fold in the berries.
In the prepared dish, arrange the bread cubes. They don't have to be in one layer, just evenly spread out in several layers if needed. Pour the egg/berry mixture into the prepared baking dish and coat the bread cubes evenly. You can gently toss everything together using your hands (this is where a little one can help) or a wooden spoon.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is set.
Serve with your favorite syrup or whipped cream and enjoy!