Triple cheese stuffed French toast – who can resist that?! Cheesy and delicious, this baked version of the beloved French toast is your perfect weekend breakfast, or brunch.
Growing up, French toast was one of my top favorite breakfasts (second only after crêpes). I remember how we inhaled huge quantities of greasy, sweet eggy bread until we couldn’t breathe any more. My mom cut the bread in smaller pieces so there is a larger surface to soak up the custard, and we simply dunked the bread in pure white sugar, or honey – no other fancy toppings required. It was breakfast bliss!
Long gone are the times I could eat this type of breakfast and get away with it. It’s been so long in fact that I don’t even crave this any more. I just prepare it for the kids, then sit and watch the hurried finger-licking, lip-smacking, no-talking devouring of the sweet fried toast! As I drink my black cup of coffee, and inhale the aroma, I think to myself with just the slightest trace of envy – it’s their turn to indulge!
Although sweet French toast is everyone’s favorite, I’ve been having this notion of a healthier savory French toast for a while, and playing with different variations. In the end, I settled for a triple cheese stuffed French toast version. There is almost no fat used, since I bake it, it’s full of protein from the eggs, yogurt, ham and cheese, and it has not sugar! It still tastes rich and decadent though, and it’s the perfect brunch recipe.
Bread is very important here and I like to use a good French or Italian bread like Pugliese with lots of holes to soak up the cheesy custard. I take two thin slices, spread cream cheese on the inside of the slices, and/or mustard for added flavor. I stuff them with ham and cheese (here you can use your favorite cheese and ham). I’ve tried smoked Gouda, provolone, smoked ham or regular, pastrami or other meat. It’s all good. I arrange the stuffed slices in a buttered baking dish and pour over the eggs, mixed with buttermilk or yogurt, and a hefty amount of Parmesan cheese – YUM! And while it’s baking in the oven, I can use the extra 15 minutes I saved by not frying the French toast, to enjoy a cup of coffee in peace.
It may sound like a heavy meal, but if you can restrict yourself to one portion, I think it’s a good and healthier alternative to the sweet, fried French toast!
Triple cheese stuffed French toast - cheesy and delicious, this baked version of the beloved French toast is your perfect weekend breakfast, or brunch.
Course:
Breakfast
Servings: 4
Calories: 512kcal
Author: Viktoria
Ingredients
8thin slices of good quality French bread
1-2tbsof Dijon mustard(optional)
4tbsof cream cheese
8slicesof smoked Gouda cheese, or other melting cheese of choice
8slicesof ham
6eggs
1/2cupof buttermilk, or yogurt
1/2cupParmesan cheese
Instructions
Cut the bread into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Take two bread slices, and spread the inside of both with cream cheese, and optionally with mustard.
Place 2 slices of Gouda cheese, and 2 slices of ham on one slice of bread; top with the other bread slice, pressing lightly so they stick together.
Butter a baking dish, and place your stuffed French toast on it.
Mix the eggs, yogurt or buttermilk, and Parmesan cheese, add a pinch of salt and pour over the bread.
Bake at 400° F until nice and golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Depending on the size of your bread slices and eggs, you may need to add more eggs and buttermilk so that the liquid fully covers the layered stuffed toast. I like to use at least one egg per toast, and more is even better.
[…] Another cheese-packed, baked sandwich you can make for breakfast or brunch is this Triple-cheese stuffed French toast. […]