You may think of French toast as a delicious, crave-worthy breakfast, and the gooey fried bread definitely does fall on the list of best-ever brunch and breakfast recipes. But French toast also functions as an ingenious waste-not solution for stale bread, much in the same vein as these 8 dinners that breathe new life into old bread.
While the French weren’t the only cooks to revitalize leftover slices of good bread in a mix of milk and egg before crisping the slices up in a pan, they did christen this dish pain perdu, which means “lost bread.” In fact, a more accurate name would be “not-lost bread,” since by making French toast, you actually save slices of bread that might otherwise have gone into the trash.
We try our best not to waste food here at Blue Apron, and so we admire French toast’s ability to make the most out of an extra ingredient. To make our super simple French toast, all you do is whisk together some milk and eggs, with sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon for extra flavor.
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Leave the bread in this custard mixture for at least 5 minutes or up to 20. Then, get frying. We melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat and let slices cook for about 3 minutes per side, until fully brown.
Serve with real maple syrup, perhaps some fruit, and plenty of crispy bacon!
Get the whole recipe below.
Cinnamon French Toast
4 Eggs
2 Cups Whole Milk
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
8 1-Inch-Thick Slices Day-Old Pullman Bread
4 Tablespoons Butter
In a bowl big enough to fit the bread, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
Soak the sliced bread in the egg mixture for 1 to 2 minutes per side to allow for absorption.
Heat a large pan (nonstick, if you have one) on medium-high until hot, then working in batches, melt some of the butter in the pan and place as many of the coated bread slices in the pan, letting the excess drip off before adding to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove the French toast from the pan and set aside in a warm place. Repeat with the remaining 4 slices, adding more butter to the pan in between batches.
Garnish the French toast with your choice of fruit, powdered sugar or maple syrup.
