Divas: Easy breakfast casserole is just peachy

Turns out, Mother was right. There are lots of reasons to start your day with a proper breakfast. By proper, I mean breakfasts that don’t have frosting. Breakfast starts the day with essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that improve strength, endurance and brain function. People who eat a healthy breakfast reduce hunger throughout the day, which helps them make better food choices at other meals.

Now just because breakfast shouldn’t be covered in frosting doesn’t mean it can’t satisfy your sweet tooth. What if peach cobbler and French toast had a baby? You were just thinking that too, right? I decided to force the marriage and the result is this creamy, fruity, protein-packed breakfast-y casserole.

This will become a family favorite for weekend brunch. But if you plan, it makes a perfect weekday breakfast. It can be prepared the night before and popped in the oven first thing in the morning to fill the house with luscious sweet peach, brown sugar and vanilla fragrance. Wouldn’t that make your morning better? I thought so.

PEACHES AND CREAM

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

What You’ll Need:

6 to 8 cups bread cubes – any bread you like

One (14 oz.) can sliced peaches in light syrup – syrup reserved

10 eggs

2 cups milk or half and half

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch salt

½ cup brown sugar – divided

4 oz. cream cheese

2 tablespoons oats

Here’s How:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cubed bread in a lightly-greased 9×13 baking pan. Drain peaches, reserving syrup. Place peaches evenly over the bread. Crack eggs into mixing bowl and add milk, reserved syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Blend until thoroughly combined.

Cut cream cheese into small cubes and distribute evenly around the peaches and bread then sprinkle with half the brown sugar.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Let the bread soak up all the goodness for at least 5 minutes, or overnight if that’s what you’re doing.

When you’re ready to bake, sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and oatmeal. Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Oh, the divine smell!

Peaches not your thing? You can substitute canned apricots, pears or fruit cocktail.

On occasion, we top ours with a little vanilla ice cream because I want to be the popular mom. Just kidding. Maybe. When I’m not being the popular mom I don’t top it with anything because it really doesn’t need anything, but a little syrup might find its way onto the plate. Or a dollop of Greek yogurt. Goodness! I really want to be popular!

Fabulous Food contributed by Patti Diamond from Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Website and blog – www.divasonadime.com Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom.