Strawberry & Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast. Would you like Strawberry Sauce with that?

I admit that my family and I have  become "Strawberry food snobs".  We like our berries fresh from the fields. We live near a local farmstand that grows organic berries, picked fresh daily.  They are the best I've ever tasted! We never wash them until right before eating them (lest they spoil faster).  We like berries that are dark red in the center, and we like them sweet.   Sometimes I buy strawberries elsewhere, and I am disappointed. They're tart and just not up to our standards. Such was the fate of some berries that I found in my fridge-- they were looking a little worse for wear.  These didn't come from our local farmstand, so they were shoved aside. I don't like to waste food, so I had to make a decision on how to use them.  I surveyed my kitchen and noticed a loaf of French bread that had gone a bit stale.  I originally bought it to make the Pioneer Woman's Cheesy Garlic Bread, but that never happened.  I also have a generous supply of free farm fresh eggs, courtesy of my horse's ranch where she lives.   An idea was born!

Borrowing a method I use to make homemade strawberry jam, I cooked the berries with sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and a pat of butter (the butter prevents foam from building).  I added 1/4 cup of water and brought this to a rolling boil.

One the cooked strawberries coat the back of  a spoon, I used my immersion blender to puree' the sauce. you could do this, in batches, with a blender.  After pouring it into a bowl, I decided to place it on a layer of ice and put it into the fridge.  Now, for the filling.  For inspiration, I borrowed the components I used to make Strawberry Blintzes. I didn't have ricotta cheese, but I figured that cream cheese would do the trick-- otherwise, I would have used a combo of both.

These berries are huge! My son bought them at a road stand, and I thought they looked a little worn for wear. These would be perfect.  I used an 8 oz package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, the zest of an orange, real vanilla, a pinch of kosher salt and, of course, strawberries. I chose six HUGE berries.  My food processor did the hard work for me. I set that aside.

For six slices of French bread, I used four eggs, about 1 cup of whole milk, and a splash of vanilla.  In my honest opinion, using fresh French bread doesn't work well, and the French toast can turn out really soggy. The bread soaked up all the custard!  I like to lightly oil my grill and then add a pat of butter for flavor. You can use all butter, if you wish.  Who doesn' t know how to cook French toast?!  Once I had a cooked side, I filled every other slice with the cream cheese spread, then put a slice right on top.  I only used 1/4 of the strawberry filling, but that's okay... I'm sure I'll think of a way to use it up! 

Now, to plate this... by the way, I'm one of those fanatics who pre-heats her plates! I like to serve things hot!

You could add maple syrup to this, or leave this plain.  This morning, I wanted to use the strawberry sauce, which had thickened up very nicely...

VERDICT:  I felt a sense of accomplishment that I didn't let any food go to waste. The stale bread was "custardy" and had softened just right. My family loved this brunch dish, and my son said that it tasted like my Strawberry Blintzes. I agreed, and it was a lot less work than making crepes. The next time I make this, I will use a combination of cream cheese and ricotta cheese. 

I have two pints of freshly picked strawberries in my fridge.  I think it's time to make Strawberry Ice Cream... wait, maybe strawberry sorbet.  Then again, my son keeps asking me to make Strawberry Cream Cake.  See what I mean?  I seriously doubt that my family could ever tire of strawberries.  Thank goodness they are growing just three miles down our road!

The printable recipes are at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy, from my kitchen to yours!