Overnight Stuffed French Toast Roll Ups

Let's just say that we have a we have a house full of kids.  And in the summertime, somehow they seem to multiply.  It's not uncommon for us to pick up a few extras here and there with teenagers and neighborhood kids, and cousins spending the night.   But it sorta stinks having everyone's breakfast ready at different times... the first one already done by the time the last is just eating.  Are you nodding your head in agreement?

So recently, I made these darling little French toast roll ups.  I stuffed them a couple of different ways, just so we could see what we liked best.  But you could fill them with a gazillion different fillings.  I put them together the evening before, covered them and popped them into the fridge.  They bathed in the batter all night and by the morning, they were ready to be popped into the oven while I got everything else ready.  Doing it this way ensures that EVERYBODY's breakfast comes out at the same time!  Then everyone can be off to their particular ideas of summertime fun!  And seriously, who doesn't love French toast?  Everyone from toddlers to grandparents and everyone in between!  Have a bridal brunch coming up?  In-laws in town?  Church retreat?  Teacher appreciation?  I can't think of a group who wouldn't appreciate these!!

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients: (for 14 roll ups, about 6 servings)                            

Bread 

• 14 slices white wheat or whole wheat bread

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp melted butter for brushing on tops of rolls

French Toast Batter

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 c heavy cream 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar

Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling (enough for 14)

• 8 oz cream cheese 
• 5 Tbsp powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice

Strawberry/Nutella Roll Ups (enough for 7)

• 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
• Nutella or chocolate spread

Garnishes

• fresh strawberries, diced
• fresh blueberries
• whipped cream
• powdered sugar

Step-by-Step:

Begin by mixing up the cream cheese filling, if you will be using it.  I have to admit, out of the two fillings, the blueberry cream cheese by FAR was our family's favorite!  The berries start bursting and get all juicy.... the cream cheese gets all oozy... (is that a word?).  But I digress.  Just mix all the stuff to make the filling and set aside.  Bam!

1 pkg cream cheese + 5 Tbsp cofectioner's sugar (which is 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)

1/2 tsp vanilla + (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) orange juice

Next, cut the crusts from the slices of bread, and roll them out with your rolling pin. 

Place about 2 Tbsp of filling, inclusive of the filling and the berries along one end, and roll them up.  Place them seam side down in a casserole dish prepared with cooking spray.  You don't want to do all this work just to have them stick, right?  I did seven of each.  Feel free to use the fillings of your choice.  You could even just open up a can of apple pie filling if you wanted to (or some other sort).  

*remember.. this could be any combination of fillings you could think up!

Now let's do some blueberry, cream cheese filled ones with that sweetened filling that we made.....

*a 9x13" casserole dish will accommodate around 14 roll ups.  You just have to turn them a different direction after the first row is completed.

After they are all tucked in snugly, let's make a cinnamon sugar topping to sprinkle on them.  This will get all caramelized and a bit crunchy... and sparkly.  :)

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Let's brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter, so our topping will stick.  Also, this will help it get pretty and brown.

2 Tbsp melted butter

Sprinkle the tops with all this nice topping that we've mixed together.....

Now before you go to sleep at night, prepare the French toast batter.  Chances are, you've made this hundreds of times for your kids.  

6 large eggs

1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

Whisk all those ingredients together, and pour over the roll ups.  Yep, it may appear as if they are drowning in the batter.  

Now just cover them with some plastic wrap and say good night and sweet dreams to them as you put them to bed in the refrigerator overnight.   Don't worry.  Something magical will happen overnight.  Perhaps the French bread fairies will come and visit.

So..... now it is morning!  As you can see,  we must have indeed been visited by the fairies, because all that batter has soaked in to the roll ups!   (Just compare to the photo above!)  Go ahead and take them out while you are preheating the oven to take the chill off of them (and the glass casserole dish).

So now, just pop them into the oven.  I've always been taught that custards work best low and slow, so I did 350 degrees F for 50 minutes uncovered.  This gives you time to make the coffee, make the bacon, perhaps make some fruit salad or something of the sort... you know, get the kids or grandparents rounded up.   But the bottom line is... they are ALL going to come out at the same time - woo hoo!!!!

And when they did come out, I garnished with some extra fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a nice squirt of whipped cream - straight from the can! HaHa... oh come on.  Doesn't everyone have a can of that stuff in the fridge?!  :)

I hope you enjoyed this simple and delicious recipe!
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Written Method:

Begin by mixing up the cream cheese filling, if you will be using it.  I have to admit, out of the two fillings, the blueberry cream cheese by FAR was our family's favorite!  The berries start bursting and get all juicy.... the cream cheese gets all oozy... (is that a word?).  But I digress.  Just mix all the stuff to make the filling and set aside.  Bam.

Next, cut the crusts from the slices of bread, and roll them out with your rolling pin. 

Place about 2 Tbsp of filling, inclusive of the filling and the berries along one end, and roll them up.  Place them seam side down in a casserole dish prepared with cooking spray.  You don't want to do all this work just to have them stick, right?  I did seven of each.  Feel free to use the fillings of your choice.  You could even just open up a can of apple pie filling if you wanted to (or some other sort).  

Now let's do some blueberry, cream cheese filled ones with that filling that we make.....

After they are all tucked in snugly, let's make a cinnamon sugar topping to sprinkle on them.  This will get all caramelized and a bit crunchy... and sparkly.  Let's brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter, so our topping will stick.  Also, this will help it get pretty and brown.

Now before you go to sleep at night, prepare the French toast batter.  Chances are, you've made this hundreds of times:  Whisk all those ingredients together, and pour over the roll ups.  Cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator overnight.  

So, now it is morning!  All that batter has soaked in to the roll ups!   Go ahead and take them out while you are preheating the oven to take the chill off of them and the glass casserole dish.

So now, just pop them into the oven.  I've always been taught that custards work best low and slow, so I did 350 degrees F for 50 minutes uncovered.  This gives you time to make the coffee, make the bacon, perhaps make some fruit salad or something of the sort.  

And when they did come out, I garnished with some extra fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a nice squirt of whipped cream - straight from the can! HaHa... oh come on.  Doesn't everyone have a can of that stuff in the fridge?!  :)