Lunch: Apple Raisin French Toast Strata

Recipe by TerrieS A simple but elegant way to make breakfast fast. Put together the night before, and bake while you're in the shower. Serve with lots of extra maple syrup! You may also add extra raisins if you wish.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Apples

Health benefits of Apple Raisin French Toast Strata

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

1 (1 pound) loaf cinnamon raisin bread, cubed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, diced
1 cup diced peeled apples
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of the cubed raisin bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the cream cheese evenly over the bread, and top with the apples. If you like extra raisins, add them now. Top with remaining bread.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, butter, and maple syrup. Pour over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and press down so that all bread pieces are soaked. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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