Not a Morning Person

For a person who loves food, I'm not that intrigued by dining out. I love to read about restaurant recipes, and I will watch anything, anything at all that features Anthony Bourdain, but when it comes down to it, I'd much rather be the one cooking myself, or being cooked for by someone who shares my passion. Food is a long, seductive process, and having it served up to me without seeing its humble beginnings and bare state is the culinary equivalent of skipping foreplay. At least for me.

That being said, one meal I enjoy dining out for is breakfast. I think we can all agree that slow mornings are the best mornings, and nothing says leisure quite like pancakes and outdoor seating. Breakfast is also my least favorite meal to prepare, because as the cook, whether it's omelets or waffles, you almost never have the luxury of sitting down to eat as the same time as everyone else, and your scrambled eggs get cold. Bleh.

Breakfast casseroles, in particular make ahead breakfast casseroles, are a remedy to this ailment, and a tactic I have often employed to avoid the cold eggs issue. But what are you supposed to do when, on a sudden whim, with no preparations made ahead of time, you're stricken with an ungodly desire for French toast? And you have two hungry siblings who share this desire?

Well, you make Baked French Toast, of course!

So. You'll need some eggs. You'll need some bread. Some milk, cinnamon, nutmeg. But first, and most importantly, you'll need some coffee.

Ahhhhh. Isn't that better? And don't morning people make you sick?

Now that you're properly caffeinated, you've got some simple steps to carry out. Beat all of the ingredients together (except the bread, silly). Spray a sheet pan with a little cooking spray, and set the oven to 325F. After dipping your bread in the mixture, laying it out on the pan, and topping with a little butter and a drizzle of syrup, you'll set the pan in the oven, and you're ten minutes away from breakfast. That's it! No fuss, no stringing egg all over the counter from bowl to pan, and best of all, no arguing over who has to eat the cold piece.

Baked French Toast

Ingredients
8 slices whole grain bread (Or white. Whatever.)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (I know you're tired of hearing this, but freshly grated nutmeg REALLY is so much better than the preground powdery stuff.)
Dash salt
8 tsp butter, divided
Maple syrup, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 325F. Mix together eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Spray a sheet pan large enough to accommodate all of the bread with cooking spray. Dip each piece of bread in egg mixture, submerging long enough for bread to become thoroughly drenched and a little soggy. Place on sheet pan. Top each piece with 1 tsp butter, set directly in the center, and a little drizzle of maple syrup. Try not to get syrup directly on the pan; it will burn quite quickly, and will be most annoying to clean. Bake 10 minutes, until golden brown, the inside still a little soft.

Note: If you're using a grainier bread, or a homemade loaf, you may need a little more egg mixture to fully coat the slices- just add an egg and another splash of milk.