OVERNIGHT BANANA STRUESEL FRENCH TOAST BAKE

OVERNIGHT BANANA STRUESEL FRENCH TOAST BAKE image

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 large loaf of French bread, cut into slices or cubes (I used a multigrain French loaf)
½ cup Nordica Fat Free Cottage Cheese
7 large eggs
2¼ cups skim milk
⅓ cup granulated sugar
about 1 large or 2 small overripe bananas, sliced, divided (depending on size of your dish)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Optional toppings
powdered sugar for dusting
your favorite caramel sauce or syrup
pecan halves
coconut chips
extra banana slices (I cooked mine for 1 minute with some caramel sauce first)

Steps:

Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer half of the bread cubes in prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of sliced bananas. Layer evenly with the rest of the bread. Blend the cottage cheese in a blender, food processor, or using a hand mixer. When there is a smooth consistency, blend in the eggs and milk. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top of the bread. Make the streusel topping - To a medium bowl, add the butter, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and using two forks or your clean hands, cut/crumble butter into dry ingredients until small pebbles and crumbly bits form. Sometimes it takes awhile depending how cold the butter is. Using your fingers or a spoon, evenly sprinkle the streusel over the bread. Cover baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge overnight or for several hours. When you are ready to bake, remove dish from oven and uncover. Preheat oven at 350 degrees and bake for 43-52 minutes or until streusel is set and appears to have dried out some. Watch oven time carefully as it may vary. You can try a small bite and if it seems too wet, moist, or under-done for your liking, bake longer. Baking times will range greatly based on type of bread used, baking dish used, climate, and oven variance. Mine was done at 47 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm with your favorite caramel sauce/syrup or a dusting of confectioner's sugar, chopped pecans, coconut chips or extra banana slices (I cooked the extra banana slices in a pan with some caramel sauce for about 1 minute for extra flavor). NOTES French toast is best fresh, but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 days and can be reheated gently in the micro before serving.