Aunt Paula's Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Every New Year's Day, MDS and I enjoy a special breakfast. Just about every other day of the year, we have oatmeal for breakfast, but on the first day of the year, we make something unique. This year, we enjoyed this delicious breakfast casserole. When we visit Michigan, we usually stay with Aunt Paula and Uncle Zach. Breakfast at the Holmes's house is always a special treat. Aunt Paula often makes a delicious breakfast casserole or other tasty main dish that is served up with all sorts of side dishes. Uncle Zach is efficient in keeping the coffee cups filled. We enjoy lingering around the breakfast table before we hit the road to return to Chicago.

Aunt Paula gave us this recipe a few years ago after MDS and I picked several pounds of blueberries during a summer visit to Michigan. Previously, I had posted about this delicious blueberry coffee cake. This breakfast casserole is another winning recipe. Because it is the middle of winter, I used frozen blueberries, and I don't think it made any difference that the blueberries were frozen. The recipe calls for the crust of the bread to be removed, but I left it on. The casserole made a delicious start to 2016.

Aunt Paula's Blueberry French Toast Casserole 

• 6 slices day old bread
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Cut the bread into one inch cubes. Place half the bread in a greased 8x8x2 baking dish. Cut cream cheese into one inch cubes and place over the bread. Top with blueberries and the remaining bread. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, and syrup. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 covered for 25 minutes. Then, remove the cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes more until golden brown and the center is set. When the casserole is almost done, prepare the sauce.

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup blueberries

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and corn starch. Add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for three minutes while stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer for eight minutes or until blueberries burst. Pour the sauce over servings of the casserole. Enjoy!