Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

• French Toast:
• 10-12 pieces thick-sliced bread (Challah, French, Texas Toast, etc.)
• 12 eggs
• 3 cups strawberries, sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Strawberry Syrup:
• 3/4 cup strawberry jam
• 3/4 cup maple syrup

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, cream together sugar and cream cheese, and lemon juice, and thoroughly combine.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, half-and-half, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and set aside.
3. Cut bread into cubes, and transfer to bowl with egg mixture. Stir to coat.
4. Layer half of bread mixture in bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, then layer half of sliced strawberries and half of cream cheese mixture. Repeat each layer with remaining ingredients.
5. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 4-8 hours, or overnight (optional).
6. Preheat oven to 350ºF, and remove casserole from fridge while the oven heats.
7. Leaving foil on, bake casserole for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and egg mixture is cooked through.
8. While casserole is baking, mix together strawberry jam and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until mixture is warm and jam has melted into syrup.
9. Serve casserole warm with strawberry syrup, and enjoy!