Ooh la la!

This French toast bake is a chocolate lover's dream. Similar to a bread pudding, it's irresistibly warm and fluffy once you pull it out of the oven. But let's back up: assembling this beauty starts with flaky croissants that get soaked and baked in a custardy mixture of eggs, milk, chocolate hazelnut spread, and cream cheese for extra richness. And because they go so well with chocolate, you can't forget the fresh strawberries!

Instructions

1. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and softened cream cheese to a small bowl, stirring to combine.
2. Slice your bread, rolls, or croissants in half lengthwise. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the bottom half of each slice before replacing the top to make sandwiches. Repeat with remaining slices portioning the cream cheese spread evenly between each.
3. Cut each sandwich into 1-2 inch cubes.
4. Grease an 8"x8" or 8"x12" casserole dish with butter. Add the sandwich cubes and strawberries to the prepared dish.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour the egg mixture over the sandwich cubes, thoroughly coating all of the bread.
6. Cover your French toast bake with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 15 minutes (or up to 8 hours if making ahead!)
7. Once you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon any unabsorbed egg mixture over the bread.
8. Place the foil-covered dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the egg mixture is fully set and the top is lightly golden brown.
9. Serve immediately with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup.

Notes

This recipe is best when made with dry, stale bread. If you have a fresh loaf, leave it out on the counter the night before making this dish or dry in the oven at 200° for 15 minutes.