Cream Cheese French Toast Bake

Total Time: 9 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb french bread, 1 loaf
• 1 (8 ounce) container cream cheese with pineapple
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 quart fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons amaretto, if desired
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine, melted

Recipe

• 1 slice french bread into 24 (3/4-inch-thick) slices.
• 2 spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• 3 spread about 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each of 12 slices of bread. top with remaining bread slices to make 12 sandwiches.
• 4 place sandwiches in baking dish to cover bottom.
• 5 in medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the salt and cinnamon with wire whisk until well blended.
• 6 pour over bread in baking dish.
• 7 let stand 5 minutes.
• 8 turn sandwiches over.
• 9 cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• 10 chop 1 cup of the strawberries; refrigerate remaining berries.
• 11 in nonmetal bowl, gently stir chopped strawberries, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the amaretto to mix.
• 12 cover, refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• 13 heat oven to 400*.
• 14 drizzle melted butter over bread in dish; bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• 15 meanwhile, slice remaining strawberries; stir into chilled strawberry mixture.
• 16 serve french toast with strawberry topping.