Those savory vehicles of fat and eye-opening pillows of sugar, especially in dishes like this ham and cheese sandwich-inspired French toast from "Betty Crocker The Big Book of Breakfast & Brunch" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $19.99), fire off a memo to the brain that it's time to relax and enjoy the complicated, contradictory combination of flavors.
Ham ’n’ Cheese French Toast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup Original Bisquick mix
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
6 slices (1 inch thick) day-old ciabatta or French bread
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
6 oz. thinly sliced cooked ham (from deli)
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
Powdered sugar
In shallow dish, stir milk, Bisquick mix, vanilla and eggs with fork or whisk until blended. In each slice of bread, cut 3-inch pocket through top crust. Spread about 1 teaspoon mustard in each pocket. Place a slice or two of ham and 1/4 cup cheese in each pocket.
Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Melt butter on griddle. Dip bread into egg mixture, coating both sides. Place bread on hot griddle; cook about 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
Cut French toast in half diagonally; sprinkle with powdered sugar or jam, if using. Serves 6.
— From "The Big Book of Breakfast & Brunch" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $19.99)
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