Easter Breakfast

One of the traditions our church has on Easter morning is to eat breakfast together before the service. It is a wonderful time to fellowship with one another before we worship together.

I'm always looking for great breakfast dishes that are quick and easy to prepare, and I found this recipe a few weeks ago. You fix it the night before and then only have to pop it in the oven the next morning. I thought you might like to try it for your family on a special holiday, or just a relaxing weekend.

Apple-Stuffed French Toast

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
12 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick)
2 large tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
6 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Caramel sauce:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish; top with half of the pecans, a single layer of bread and remaining pecans. Arrange apples and remaining bread over the top.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned.
In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Serve with French toast.
Yield: 6 servings.

Beyond the delicious breakfast, we had an encouraging sermon about preaching the gospel to ourselves - not only the sacrificial death of Christ, which we usually focus on, but His resurrection, without which, according to I Corinthians 15:14, "our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty." What an excellent reminder.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter!