Baked Apple Upside Down French Toast

This is the other breakfast recipe that I made while we were enjoying our weekend up at  East Canyon with Ryan's family. I thought that it was delicious and was really happy about how easy it was to make. Let's face it-- at 7AM I'm not really into getting up to make breakfast. My "captive guinea pig family" said that they also enjoyed this recipe---that is with the exception of "the Mayor" whom doesn't like cooked fruit, I made the egg dish especially for him :). 

Baked Apple Upside Down French Toast

  3 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
  6 Tablespoons butter
  ¾ cup granulated sugar
  1 teaspoon cinnamon
  8 slices French bread, sliced ¾” thick
  6 to 7 eggs
  ½ teaspoon vanilla
  ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  1 cup milk
  ½ cup heavy cream or half and half

Melt butter in large pan and add sliced apples. Top apples with sugar and cinnamon and stir to incorporate. Saute over medium heat until apples are limp and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring so they don’t scorch.

Pour apples into a 9” x 13” glass ovenproof baking dish. Top with sliced French bread. Fill any spaces with small pieces of sliced bread so that entire surface is covered. In a large bowl whisk eggs with vanilla, nutmeg, milk and cream. Pour this mixture over the Bread evenly so that all pieces absorb the liquid. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, pre-heat the oven to 400º. Bake French toast for 25 minutes or until bread is golden and custard is set. Invert carefully onto a sheet pan and cut into squares to serve, apple-side-up. You may add the syrup of your choice and a dollop of crème fraiche (or in a pinch just use whipped cream.) Serves 6 to 8.