I first made this for our family Christmas brunch in 2016. This was the perfect recipe for a very busy time of year! You mix this one up the night before and then just pop it in the oven while you open gifts!
12 slices of day-old bread cut into 1 inch cubes (I used Texas Toast and it worked well but I would say any hearty kind of bread would work best. I think regular old white bread would get a little soggy.)
2 8 oz. pkgs. of cream cheese
1 c. blueberries (I used the ones I freeze in summer from Blue Belle - yum!)
12 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. maple syrup
Sauce:
1 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 c. water
1 c. blueberries
1 Tbs. butter
Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange half of the bread in the dish and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 c. blueberries over the cream cheese and top with remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the bread cube mixture from the frig about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is firm and surface is golden brown.
In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 c. of blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until the berries burst. Stir in the butter. Serve alongside the french toast. I also made this the night before and just warmed it in the morning.
This can be easily halved if you want to make it for just a few servings.
Our brunch menu included this as the main attraction. We also had bacon, citrus fruit salad, and Tater Tots!