Syrupy Banana-nut Overnight French Toast

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 6 tablespoons butter or 6 tablespoons margarine
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 5 large ripe bananas, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices or 3 -4 very ripe pears or 3 -4 peaches, sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds) or 1 cup dried cherries, cranberries or 1 cup raisins
• 1 long loaf french bread (12 ounces) or 1 italian bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices (12 ounces)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds or 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or 1/2 cup pecans

Recipe

• 1 in microwave-safe small bowl, heat butter in microwave oven on high 1 minute or until melted. stir sugar into butter until moistened.
• 2 with fingertips, press sugar mixture onto bottom of 13" by 9" glass baking dish. (it's okay if mixture does not cover bottom.)
• 3 spread fresh or dried fruit over sugar mixture; top with bread slices, cut sides down.
• 4 in medium bowl, with whisk, beat eggs; whisk in milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. slowly pour milk mixture over bread; press bread down to absorb egg mixture.
• 5 sprinkle with nuts.
• 6 cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• 7 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 8 remove plastic wrap from baking dish.
• 9 bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until bread is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• 10 let stand 10 minutes before serving.