Famous Phee Family French Toast

A few years back I was hosting Mother's Day brunch at my house and I really wanted it to be special, perfect, and flawless. You see, it was my first Mother's Day, and I had a new sense of appreciation for Motherhood since just giving birth for the first time a few months prior. 

My previous notions of what a Mother was had changed the instant I held my sweet Giulietta in my arms. I used to view Moms as those women who cooked, cleaned, took care of the kids, and the endless amount of duties that entailed running a family and home. However, what I learned the moment I looked my first born daughter in her deep blue eyes is that a Mother is one who shares an unconditional love and an endless bond with their child. A Mother is the one children seek out first when they are sick, sad, happy, or mad. And, a Mother is the yesterday, the today, the right this minute, the tomorrow, and the forever!  

And, because of this, I wanted to show all the Mother's in my family that I knew this secret blessing that all of us Mothers shared, but none of us talked about. Needless to say, I needed the perfect dish that everyone would like, that would not take forever to prepare, cook, and clean up, and that would allow me to spend time with my daughter and other family members. So, when I mentioned this to my friend Marci, she suggested her Mother-in-laws Famous French Toast Recipe. She explained, I listened, the recipe was emailed, the items bought, the dish cooked, the brunch amazing, and memories made. 

From then on, I have enjoyed making this French Toast on holiday mornings, special occasions, or just a random morning when I feel like it. And, I had one of those the other day. So...below I share with you the Famous Phee Family French Toast (This is the name I made up in order to give credit, where credit is do.). 

Famous Phee Family French Toast

For this breakfast entrée you will need a 13x9 baking dish, 12 eggs (or more depending on how thick you cut your bread), 2 small loafs of french bread or 1 large loaf, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. 

Cut your french bread loaf in 1/4-1/2 inch slices. 

Arrange the french bread slices in the 13x9 baking dish so the entire bottom is covered. There is no right number of slices, it really just depends on the height of your bread and what direction you place them in the dish.

In a small bowl, crack your 12 (or more/less) eggs, add in 1-2 tbs. of vanilla, and 1-2 tbs. of cinnamon. I give the measurement of 1-2 tbs. because I never measure exactly what I put in, and it just depends on how sweet you like your french toast. When all the ingredients have been added, mix together. 

Take the egg mixture and pour it over your bread. I always make sure that my egg mixture is covering most of my bread, but not making it so my bread is floating.

Cover the french toast with foil and place in the fridge over night. During this time, the bread will soak up the  egg mixture giving the right amount of crunch and moistness to the entrée. (You do not need to place the french toast in the fridge over night, you can prepare it in the morning and cook it right away. However, the beauty of the dish is that you can put it together in 10 minutes or less the night before, and pop it in the oven the next morning.)

Place the french toast in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You will know that the french toast is perfectly cooked when the egg no longer looks slimy, but nice and rather rubbery. Also, the bread should be slightly toasted on top and around the edges. 

After you pull the french toast out of the oven, simply cut it into slices, place it on your plate, adorn with butter and syrup or nothing at all, and enjoy this tasty deliciousness! You can also cook this dish with bacon, sausage, or any other breakfast meat in it as well. It's totally up to your imagination and taste buds now! 

And...I apologize for no pictures of cute girls in this post, but they were sleeping when I prepared the dish last night, and I was too pre-occupied indulging on this yumminess this morning, that I forgot to take a few shots of them. Next time!