I love bread pudding, but I’ve noticed that very few people appreciate the dish. I’ve also noticed that many people like French toast bakes/casseroles. There’s a very fine line between bread pudding and French toast casserole. The two are essentially the same thing (a baked dish of bread soaked in an egg-and-dairy mixture topped with a sweet sauce or syrup). Because the two are similar, I decided a few weeks ago to make bread pudding and call it a “French Toast Bake” so that my kids would be willing to try it.
My machination paid off! Not only did my kids try it, but my eldest has continuously asked me to try additional varieties. Last weekend, I made a peach cinnamon one. It was amazing, so I snapped a couple of quick pictures with my phone so I could share it here.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (16 oz.) cinnamon swirl bread, cut or torn into small pieces
- 1 can (21 oz.) peach pie filling
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Useful tools for this recipe
- 2.5 qt. casserole dish – When I got married many years ago, we received a set of basic casserole dishes as a wedding gift. These simple CorningWare baking dishes are durable workhorses that I use nearly every week.
- Peach pie filling – When I make things like pies and cobblers, I usually prepare my own fruit. However, this pie filling that contains only simple ingredients (peaches, sugar, and cinnamon) makes preparing this recipe a cinch.
- Classic Food Processor – You can cut or mash the peach pie filling by hand, but it is easier to do using a food processor. This one is easy to use and functions consistently.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2.5 qt. casserole dish. Place the peach pie filling in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop the peaches into small chunks. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the peaches in a bowl and use a knife to cut into smaller pieces.
Place half the bread pieces into the baking dish. Top with half the peach pieces. Repeat so you have two bread-peach layers. Drizzle the top with the melted butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and vanilla extract. Pour over the bread and press gently with a fork until the bread is covered and soaked.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and it springs back when lightly pressed, about 45 minutes. Serve warm. Drizzle individual servings with maple syrup immediately before serving. Yield: 8 servings.
Notes
What a delightful treat this is for breakfast, brunch, or a snack! It has a custard-like texture with the bright, sweet flavor of peach and the savory, spicy flavor of cinnamon. The drizzle of maple syrup ties it all together. The only thing I will do differently next time I make this is to cut the peaches into a bit smaller pieces so there is a little peach in each and every bite.
If you prefer, you can use fresh peaches in this. Just make sure to toss them in a good quantity of cinnamon sugar before putting them in the dish. Likewise, you can use other breads such as brioche or challah (stale is better than fresh so it doesn’t become soggy in the egg mixture). Just add a little cinnamon to the egg mixture because it will not be present in the bread.
Given my eldest daughter’s enthusiasm for this, I’ll be trying additional flavors soon. What yummy breakfasts have you tried lately?
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