Savory French Toast | Diethood

This savory French toast recipe is a scrumptious twist on the basic breakfast dish! I soak fluffy bread slices in a wealthy custard with crumbled feta cheese and recent thyme. As an alternative of maple syrup, high your slices with a dollop of plain yogurt and dig in.

Aromatic and savory, feta cheese-crusted French toast is an homage to my Macedonian roots, together with extra of my childhood favorites like macaroni and feta cheese and moussaka. In case you’ve by no means tried it earlier than, you’re gonna LOVE it!

Rising up, this savory model of French toast with feta and thyme was our morning breakfast each Sunday. Nevertheless, we (Macedonians) name this “Przeni Lepcinja”, a.okay.a. fried bread slices, and never French Toast. Actually, the primary time I heard it known as that was after we got here to the States. Right here, in fact, French toast is named a candy brunch dish. However I really like the flavors on this savory model with eggs, milk, salty cheese, and recent herbs all soaked up into comfortable, crusty slices of fried French bread.

Why I Love This French Toast Recipe

• Taste-packed. This recipe swaps the same old custard of eggs, milk, and sugar for a model flavored with zesty thyme, creamy, crumbly feta, and freshly cracked black pepper. What could possibly be higher?!
• A savory different. These days, I really like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and banana bread, however there was a time in my life when candy breakfast meals weren’t my factor (sure, actually!). My compromise on the brunch desk was this superb savory French toast from my childhood. 
• Straightforward to make. In case you’ve ever made candy French toast, this savory model follows the identical course of. It’s straightforward and the proper breakfast for a lazy morning or a special day– nearly any time we’re craving one thing cozy and comforting. It’s additionally one in all our favourite “brinner” concepts (breakfast for dinner). Simply add a recent salad on the aspect!

Recipe Substances

It seems that the French don’t name it French Toast, both. They name it ache perdu, or “misplaced bread” for the reason that recipe requires day-old bread. I bear in mind my Mother would purposely go away a loaf of bread on the counter the evening earlier than in order that it will be as stale as attainable the subsequent day. I nonetheless do the identical at any time when I make this recipe! 

Listed here are some additional notes on what you’ll want. Scroll right down to the printable recipe card after the publish for the complete ingredient measurements and recipe particulars.

• Stale Bread – Ask your native bakery for a day-old loaf, or you’ll be able to go away your bread out in a single day in order that it stales a bit of. I exploit French bread and slice it into thick, 1” slices.
• Oil – Vegetable oil or one other cooking oil, for frying. 
• Milk and Eggs – For the custard. Any sort of milk will work (even dairy-free), however the larger the fats content material, the higher. I exploit entire milk.
• Recent Thyme – Chop the leaves from the sprigs. You need to use any recent herbs that you simply like. Different good choices are rosemary, basil, chives, and oregano.
• Black Pepper – Freshly cracked.
• Feta Cheese – The most effective is crumbled feta. You might use one other grated cheese, like Parmesan or Pecorino, too.

How you can Make Savory French Toast (Przeni Lepcinja)

Fried bread slices with feta are a core reminiscence. Once I was younger, we’d come residence from Church, collect across the kitchen desk, and anticipate Mother to ship the products. And boy, was it good!

Right here’s a fast overview of how you can make French toast the Macedonian means. This isn’t your common French toast, although whereas the components are totally different, the tactic is identical. 

• Combine the custard. Begin by combining milk and eggs with thyme, black pepper, and about one cup of feta cheese. Give {that a} actually good whisk.
• Soak the bread. Subsequent, dip your bread slices into the custard. Ensure that it’s properly coated on all sides and scoop up any feta that’s settled on the backside of the bowl.
• Fry. Working in batches, add the soaked slices to a scorching skillet or griddle with oil. Let the bread toast on both aspect till it’s good and brown, and transfer the completed slices to a paper towel-lined plate to empty.
• Serve! Load your savory French toast onto a platter and sprinkle over leftover feta. Serve heat along with your favourite brunch sides! See beneath for concepts.

Serving Solutions

A aspect of plain yogurt or Macedonian taratur is all you want as an alternative choice to maple syrup with this savory French toast. I additionally prefer to dollop on some ajvar (pink pepper relish) as a result of it goes with every part! I’ll often have it out anyway since one in all my favourite brunch dishes to serve with this French toast is Macedonian shakshuka. In any other case, I’ll hold it easy with a aspect of crispy bacon and recent tomatoes picked from the backyard. Clearly, mimosas are a should!

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover French toast slices in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. 
• Reheat. I prefer to heat this savory French toast both in a skillet once more, or in a heat oven to crisp up the surface. Often 350ºF for 10 minutes or so does the trick.

Extra Savory Breakfast Recipes