(Overnight Banana Pecan Streusel French Toast Bake

• Produce

  • 1 Banana

• Refrigerated

  • 7 Eggs, large

• Condiments

  • 1 Your favorite caramel sauce or syrup

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup Brown sugar, light packed
  • 3 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  • 5/8 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 Optional toppings
  • 1 Powdered sugar
  • 1 Streusel topping
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1 Coconut chips
  • 1/4 cup Pecans
  • 1 Pecans

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 1 large loaf French bread

• Dairy

  • 5 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 2/3 cups Cottage cheese, fat-free
  • 2 1/3 cups Skim milk

• Other

  • about 1 large or 2 small overripe bananas, sliced, divided (depending on size of your dish

Found on lifemadesweeter.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 large loaf of French bread, cut into slices or cubes (I used a multigrain French loaf)
• 2/3 cups fat free cottage cheese (or 6 ounces of softened cream cheese)
• 7 large eggs
• 2 1/3 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• about 1 large or 2 small overripe bananas, sliced, divided (depending on size of your dish)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Streusel Topping
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• Optional toppings
• powdered sugar for dusting
• your favorite caramel sauce or syrup
• chopped pecans
• coconut chips
• extra banana slices (I cooked mine for 1 minute with some caramel sauce first)

Directions

• Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Blend the cottage cheese in a blender, food processor, or using a hand mixer. When there is a smooth consistency, mix in the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Blend in 1/3 cup of milk. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the mixture in small cup or bowl and set aside. Add the rest of the milk and eggs to the blender mixture and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Layer half of the bread cubes in prepared baking dish.
• Add the 1/2 cup reserved cottage cheese/milk mixture over bread cubes.
• Top with a layer of sliced bananas. Layer evenly with the rest of the bread.
• Pour the liquid blender mixture evenly over the top of the bread.
• Make the streusel topping - To a medium bowl, add the butter, flour, sugars, cinnamon and using two forks or your clean hands, cut/crumble butter into dry ingredients until small pebbles and crumbly bits form. Mix in chopped pecans if using.
• Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the bread.
• Cover baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge overnight or for several hours.
• When you are ready to bake, remove dish from fridge and uncover.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees and bake for 43-52 minutes or until streusel is set and appears to have dried out some. Watch oven time carefully as it may vary. You can try a small bite and if it seems too wet, moist, or under-done for your liking, bake longer. Baking times will range greatly based on type of bread used, baking dish used, climate, and oven variance. Mine was done at 47 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve warm with your favorite caramel sauce/syrup or a dusting of confectioners sugar, chopped pecans, coconut chips or extra banana slices (I cooked the extra banana slices in a pan with some caramel sauce for about 1 minute for extra flavor).