Old cookbooks are some of my favorites. Not only are they full of tried and true recipes, but they also hearken back to the days of do-it-yourself-ness, a sure fire money-saving method.
I adapted this recipe for French Toast in Betty Crocker’s Do Ahead Cookbook: From the Freezer and the Refrigerator, © 1972. It is a practically perfect way to make french toast. You can prepare a large batch of crispy, crunchy, battered bread at one time. A great way for a crowd (or my family) to eat at one time. I used a package of large French rolls, sliced on the diagonal, which created ideal-sized dippers for the kiddos. An added plus is that you can wrap them well for freezing and store them for later eating.
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 slices bread OR slice four 8-inch French rolls on the diagonal
Heat the oven to 500°. Grease several baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Do not use parchment as it will burn at this high heat.
In a shallow dish, mix the eggs, milk, sugar, and salt. Dip the bread pieces in the egg mixture and arrange on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the underside is golden, about five minutes. Turn slices; bake until golden brown, about 2-5 minutes more. Watch them carefully to prevent burning!
Serve with butter and pancake syrup.
To freeze: Prepare the french toast according to recipe instructions. Cool the toast completely on a wire rack. Place in a single layer on baking sheet and place in the freezer until firm, about 2 hours. Once firm, wrap, label, and place in a ziptop bag and return to the freezer.
To serve: When ready to serve, place in a 375° oven on ungreased baking sheet. Heat until hot, 8 to 10 minutes. You can simply pop smaller quantities into the toaster or toaster oven.
Nutritional values may vary based on the size bread you use. Values here represent two slices of bread.
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Can you use French bread? Walmart had it on sale for .90 the other day so I bought some 😉
Yes, that should be fine.
This sounds really good!!!!
When King’s Hawaiian bread goes on sale, I buy several loaves to make-and-freeze french toast. It makes the most delicious french toast!
I made this today and it stuck horribly – I had to scrape them off the pan to turn them – and left most of the “crust” on the pan. Wonder what I’m doing wrong? I used a large non-stick jelly roll pan and brushed it with a tablespoon or so of canola oil.
I’ve almost always used a silpat mat and the times that I’ve gone without, it has been hit or miss on the flipping. My guess is that a silpat or parchment will be more successful. I’m sorry that it didn’t work for you!
I just made this and it seems the key to not sticking is to make sure it is really golden brown before you flip them. I tried to flip when they were really light and they stuck. And I added some vanilla and used part almond milk for the regular milk. Sooo good! I can’t wait to freeze some.
@Dana, Thanks for the feedback! That’s great to know.
Dear Jessica,
greetings from Germany and a big thank you for your blogs. I found several inspirational meals and tips I could use for my family.
The French toasts are here made in a fry pan and are known as “Arme Ritter”, literally “poor knights” – don’t ask me how they got their name. My kids could eat them nearly every day. They work fine with almost every kind of bread and we season them with a little sugar and cinnamon. Who’s in the mood eats some applesauce or any other fruit compote beside (or on top as my children).