A Satruday Morning Must

The other day, I had food network on and I was actually sitting down to watch it unlike having it on while I start getting things around for dinner and signing folders, checking homework, etc and I saw a must make breakfast recipe!
Saturday mornings are usually a huge breakfast day for the family. I always try to have pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy, or even homemade monkey bread or something just extra special to help start the weekend off scrumptious! One thing about my girls, is they are HUGE breakfast eaters which makes it fun.
So, when I sat watching the food network with Down Home with the Neelys and they had a breakfast recipe, I perked up. I always like a new breakfast idea. It was called Banana Stuffed French Toast...ummm YUMMO! :) Who doesn't like a big piece of bread dipped in cream & cinnamon and stuffed with mashed bananas and cream cheese! Friends...stuffed with cream cheese!! What is cream cheese not good with?!?! :)
So here is the recipe straight from the website. I hope to make this very soon and give a report back. :)

Banana Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup light brown sugar
* Pinch ground cinnamon
* 3 ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
* 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
* 1 large unsliced loaf French bread, bread cut into 8 slices
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 1/2 cups whole milk
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon rum extract
* Nonstick cooking spray
* Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
* Maple syrup, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted add the brown sugar and pinch of cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts into the butter and becomes a sauce. Add bananas and toss together. Let cook until the bananas are soft and incorporated into the sauce. Remove to a bowl and let cool completely. Once cool, add cream cheese and mash with a wooden spoon.

Using a paring knife, cut a 2-inch-long slits in 1 side of each bread slice, cutting 3/4 of way through bread and creating pocket that leaves 3 sides of bread intact. Divide banana mixture equally among the bread pockets.

In a large bowl, add eggs, heavy cream, milk, cinnamon and rum and whisk to combine. Pour mixture into a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish. Put the bread into the egg mixture and let soak for 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the bread from egg mixture, using a spatula, letting the excess drain off.

Spray a wire rack with nonstick spray and put the rack on a baking sheet. Put the bread on the rack and transfer to the oven.

Bake the French toast until it is golden brown and filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Transfer the toast on a serving platter and garnish with confectioners' sugar and maple syrup