Using Up Leftovers: French Toast

We had a lot of random store bought breads in the house that I really wanted to see get used up before mold was a factor. A lot. Mostly this was hamburger buns leftover from meals at our home and Ross’ parents home, plus most of a loaf of bread that had to’ve been weeks old by that point.

I always marvel at how long store bought bread can last! And no, we don’t always bake bread. Sometimes I don’t bake due to laziness, sometimes because I don’t feel like it, and other times because I’ve injured myself yet again and can’t knead (hEDS is a bit of a nightmare that way). I recently was reminded that some people think I bake all my own bread, so now that correction is out there!

You can totally tell these are not fresh, can’t you?

I ended up making a dozen slices, half of that from 3 hamburger bun halves, and saved the rest of the sandwich loaf for garlic bread. Also, I forgot to take a picture after all the toast was cooked, so I admit that there were a couple of slices leftover a day later that offered us up the very poor quality picture of some of my French toast above. So there’s that.

Also? I made this for dinner, not breakfast.

Marzipan photobomb!No, seriously don’t put marzipan in your french toast. If you want almond flavor, use extract.

Here’s what you’ll need

12 slices of bread of some type (I used 3 hamburger buns and 6 slices of bread, but sometimes I use hotdog buns too)

3 eggs

splash of water

1/2 cup milk or cream

pinch salt

1 tablespoon sugar (optional, but I prefer it with)

1 teaspoon or so of vanilla (optional)

1/4 teaspoon cardamom, cinnamon, mixed spice, or whatever you like (optional)

butter or oil for your pan

Here’s what you’ll do

Set your pan to medium-low or medium heat, then whisk together the eggs, water, milk or cream, salt, sugar, vanilla, and spices. Do your best to do a do good job, but don’t beat yourself up about it if it’s not perfect. When the pan is hot, add oil or butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. You don’t need a lot, but you’re welcome to use a lot. Dip slices of bread into your egg mixture, letting it sit in the mixture on each side for a few seconds to soak in a bit, then fry until well browned on each side. Makes 12 slices.

When I say let it soak in, I mean it!

Note: I use a 12 inch pan, because I can get 4 bun halves or 3 slices each round. A griddle or griddle pan works especially well here (sadly, I do not have one anymore), or you can do them more slowly in a small pan. It’s also an option to use your oven set to warm to keep the slices warm between batches on a plate, and you can also use the warmer shelf at the bottom of the oven if you don’t keep cookware in yours.