Baked Blueberry French Toast - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 loaf crusty French bread
12 ounces neufchatel cheese or 12 ounces cream cheese
8 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup maple syrup, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra (to garnish)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries, plus extra (to garnish)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 3- to 4-quart casserole dish. (I use the same size you used.) Cut the bread into 1/2-inch squares.
Process the Neufchatel, eggs, and maple syrup in a food processor until smooth. Add the sour cream, yogurt, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla, and process until smooth.
Place half the bread in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the blueberries. Pour on half the cream cheese mixture, spreading it evenly. Layer on the remaining bread, and pour on the remaining cream cheese mixture, spreading evenly.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. (Sometimes I let it sit overnight and bake in the morning.) Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more, until the French bread is well set, puffy and lightly browned.
Garnish with sour cream and blueberries, and serve with maple syrup on the side.