Quick! What is the most important meal on Christmas day? If you said anything other than breakfast, you’re wrong. It is definitely breakfast. Today I am going to share a favorite Christmas morning recipe: savory french toast.
Many people are familiar with traditional french toast, which tends to be a little sweet or sticky with syrup and topped with cinnamon or powdered sugar. This version is cheesy and buttery with hot sauce and chopped herbs. It’s warm and filling, best eaten while looking out the window at a snowy scene on Christmas morning. This recipe was adapted from a version posted on The Kitchn.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6, cooking time 30 to 45 minutes
- Neutral cooking oil, such as canola or peanut oil, for frying
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk (2% works best)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 6 slices good-quality bread, cut 3/4- to 1-inch thick (sourdough is good)
- Freshly minced herbs, such as chives or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Procedures
- Turn the oven to the warming setting. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it near your workspace, and prepare an 8×8 baking dish or shallow pan for dredging the bread.
- Combine the eggs, milk, and cream in a blender and pulse until well combined. Transfer to the pan and whisk in the Parmesan, mustard powder, pepper, salt, hot sauce, and a very generous amount of black pepper.
- Pour about 1/2-inch of oil into a large skillet and heat over medium to medium-high heat until shimmering. It should read about 365°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- While the oil is heating, add 2 pieces bread to the batter and soak, flipping frequently, until thoroughly saturated with liquid. You can let them soak about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Add the bread to the hot oil and cook until the bread is golden brown; flip and continue cooking, about 2 minutes per side. (Reduce or increase heat, as necessary, to keep oil temperature around 365°F.)
- Gently shake excess oil from the bread and place on the paper towel-lined sheet pan. Transfer the sheet pan to oven to keep warm, and continue cooking the remaining bread.
- Garnish the French toast with chopped herbs and more Parmesan cheese. Pesto, bacon jam or tomato jam are also good condiments to include.
Make sure to get a nice, thick loaf of white bread to stand up to the egg mixture. Pictured above is a version with chives, which perfectly complement the cheese and hot sauce. If you have a favorite Christmas breakfast recipe, share it in the comments below!