Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Mary Jane Butters, you've done it again.

Thanks to you, I had one little, tiny, almost insignificant slip-up on the whole gluten free thing.

Well, it would've been insignificant if I hadn't indulged in that second piece of glorious casserole. You know the one. It was the casserole that dreams are made of. Candle companies try to duplicate it's aroma, while an entire country tries to lay claim by depositing their name in the title.

Yep. That's the one.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole.

Thanks to you, mornings will never be the same again.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

~courtesy of MaryJane's Farm magazine, April/May 2011 issue~

12 slices day-old bread (I used a rustic sourdough bread)

16 oz. organic cream cheese

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

12 pastured eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

Blueberry sauce~recipe follows

Cut bread into 1" cubes. Place half of the cubes in a buttered 13x9x2" glass baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1" cubes and layer on top of bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and syrup. Pour over bread mixture. Use a spatula to press ingredients down into liquid.

Cover pan with foil and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Remove 30 minutes prior to baking. Preheat oven to 350F.

Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and mixture is set in the center, about 25-30 minutes.

Serve with Blueberry Sauce.

~Blueberry Sauce~

1/2 cup organic sugar

1 T. organic cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 t. ground nutmeg

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add water and boil for 3 minutes. Add berries and simmer until they burst, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Drizzle syrup over entire casserole before serving.

Serves 12.

If you like this recipe, check out the newest edition of MaryJane's Farm magazine.