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The secret to successful brunch hosting is to get as much prepared the night before as possible, right?
This Blueberry Maple Breakfast Bake is perfect for brunch parties for that very reason. It’s basically a breakfast bread pudding that is easy to assemble the night before.
Just pop it in the oven an hour before you need it the morning of your brunch!
While you can use regular sliced bread for this recipe, I find the texture and presentation improves immeasurably if you use a small rustic Italian or French loaf for the bread.
Layer the cubed bread with cream cheese and blueberries, and soak through with an egg milk butter mixture. Serve with maple syrup, like blueberry pancakes!
Can be prepared the night before, and baked before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of rustic white bread, crusts removed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
- 4 oz cream cheese, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided (if using frozen berries, defrost and drain them first)
- 8 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more for serving
Method
1 Preheat oven, prep baking dish: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish.
2 Layer cubed bread, cream cheese, and blueberries in baking dish: Place half of the bread cubes in the dish. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and half of the blueberries over the bread. Top with remaining bread cubes and blueberries.
3 Combine eggs, milk, maple syrup, and melted butter in a large bowl and pour over bread mixture.
To make ahead, cover and chill overnight, and proceed the next morning to bake.
3 Bake: Bake at 350°F until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hr 20 min. Cover with aluminum foil if you notice the edges browning too much during baking.
4 Serve: Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares to serve. Serve with additional maple syrup.