Panko Crusted Pumpkin French Toast

Happy Day After! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Is anyone alive on this Black Friday?

I hope I am! We were at the Ravens game on Thursday night, so hopefully I made it home alive and happy with a win! (It’s currently Tuesday, I haven’t entered some wierd space-time continuum on Friday where I don’t actually know what is going on!) But where ever you are on this day after Thanksgiving (I hope you all had a great one!) I bet you have leftovers. A TON OF THEM.

So this is an idea for using some of those leftovers that are hanging around–mainly the bread and that open can of pumpkin puree you have–to make something completely different. And I know you’re thinking “pumpkin?” after eating all of that pie yesterday, but really, the pumpkin here lends creaminess, not so much taste, to this fun twist on french toast! And it’s worth making on a regular fall or winter morning too!

And if you’re thinking that panko + french toast is weird, well, stop thinking that! Because it gives this french toast a delightful crunch that takes it to a whole new level! So break it out and add a bit of cinnamon sugar!

Panko Crusted Pumpkin French Toast
Adapted From Recipe Girl

The recipe below will make enough egg mixture for about 6 slices of regular bread, or 8 slices of french bread. It’s easily doubled to feed a crowd! The panko amount is just a guess, so you may not want to measure it out, rather just add it with a biof cinnamon sugar as you go along!

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1/2 half and half
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 cups panko
8 (3/4-inch thick) slices of day-old French bread

Directions:

In a flat bottomed bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, half and half, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl, mix together the panko, sugar, and second measure of cinnamon. Add enough of the panko mixture to another flat bottomed bowl to cover the bottom.

Heat skillet or griddle to medium-heat, brush with butter. Quickly dip bread on both sides into the egg mixture, then place into panko mixture, flipping over to coat both sides. Place in hot skillet, and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining bread. Replenish the panko mixture between each slice of bread, or as needed.

Serve immediately with maple syrup.

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