“Everything Bagel” Stuffed Savory French Toast

If there’s one thing I’ve taken with me after growing up in New Jersey, it’s my love for bagels. There are mornings when I wake up and am simply craving an everything bagel with cream cheese. It’s not my fault; it’s ingrained into my culture. But when I don’t want to go out and get one, this breakfast is a good substitute. This Savory French Toast is stuffed with cream cheese and coated with everything seasoning for that bagel experience.

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My favorite flavor of bagel isn’t everything – but that’s the closest one you can actually order. I really love a poppy or sesame seed bagel that was sitting next to an onion or garlic bagel. That way it just has a hint of that flavor. If you make your own everything seasoning, you can get that balance just right for you.

I didn’t make the spice blend for this breakfast. Instead, I used Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning. It was delicious, but I thought it was a bit saltier than my standard everything bagel would be. So, I did include some basic ingredients you can use to make your own.

What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for this “everything bagel” seasoned savory French toast at your grocery store. You can also order online using Amazon Fresh for grocery delivery.

• Pantry: Sourdough bread
• Fridge: Cream cheese, Eggs, Milk
• Spice Rack: Everything seasoning or any combination of: Sesame seeds, Poppy seeds, Dried onion, Dried garlic, Coarse sea salt
• Equipment: Flat dish like a square baking pan, Griddle pan, Sturdy spatula

Let’s Make Savory Stuffed French Toast

I used a store-bought sourdough in this recipe as the base for my French toast. You can do the same, or use a homemade version. Either way, I suggest a sandwich loaf instead of a boule or round shape.

Also, you will only use half of the loaf, but sourdough is delicious for sandwiches or with jam, so you won’t have any trouble using up the extra. Slice it into eight equally-sized pieces, about a half-inch thick.

Unless your loaf is super uniform in size and shape, you’ll want to keep adjacent slices together when pairing them up for stuffing. I like to make sure all of my slices are paired and ready before filling them.

You will also want to have softened cream cheese for this step. If yours is right out of the fridge, microwave it in ten-second increments until it’s spreadable, but not melted. Be careful not to microwave any foil wrapping.

Make sandwiches by spreading one slice of each bread pair with the cream cheese, and then pressing the other on top. You can give the edges a little pinch, but it’s not totally necessary. If you’d like, you can go heavier or lighter on the cream cheese to your taste.

Set the sandwiches aside, and start making the egg mixture. Use a flat dish that’s large enough to fit all of your sandwiches at once. Otherwise, you will have to soak them in batches. I like to use my 8×8-inch square baking pan.

Add the eggs and milk to the pan, and then whisk until the yolks are broken up and everything is thoroughly combined. If you prefer, you can mix this up in a bowl and then transfer it to the pan. I suggest this if you are using a dish or pan with lower sides.

Add each sandwich into the egg mixture, and let them all soak for a little bit. Then flip them over (use silicone tongs, if you don’t want your hands to get eggy) and continue soaking the other side as well.

Meanwhile, grease your griddle or other large, flat pan, and begin heating it on medium-high. You want the pan to be fairly hot so that the egg mixture immediately begins cooking when you add in each piece.

Once the pan is ready, add the sandwiches onto the griddle. Let any excess egg mixture drip off. You may end up with a little bit extra left in the pan. If you’d like, you can fry or scramble this up, since it’s just eggs and milk. Otherwise, you can discard it.

Place the soaked sandwiches on the hot griddle. They should sizzle immediately when added. Cook for a few minutes on one side until it’s a nice golden brown. Then flip and continue on the other side. If your griddle pan doesn’t cook super evenly, you may also want to rotate the pieces to get a nice color on all of them.

Remove each from the heat and spread a thin layer of the remaining cream cheese on top of one side of the bread. This cream cheese will begin to melt as it touches the hot sandwiches, so there’s no need to soften it in advance.

Then sprinkle with a generous coating of everything seasoning, pressing to adhere it to the toast. If you’d rather, you can place the seasoning on a plate, and dip the French toast cream cheese side down into it.

You will want to make these to serve, and eat them immediately. I do not recommend making this dish in advance and storing it, since it doesn’t reheat well. Luckily, it comes together fairly quickly, so there’s plenty of time to linger over it and enjoy.

How to Serve Everything French Toast

Balance out the salty and spice-filled flavors of this savory French toast by pairing it with something sweet and fruit-forward that doesn’t include a lot of bread. An apple and pear crisp or a sour cherry cobbler would be the perfect addition. If you’d rather lean into the savoriness, try a side of vegan lentil-pecan breakfast sausage.

Don’t forget the drinks! A bagel and coffee are a classic combo, so why not upgrade your beverage as well. Try an iced latte, made just how you love it, or a chai white hot chocolate for something warm.

Thinking more brunch-style? This French toast would go wonderfully with a boozy peanut butter cup hot chocolate, a birthday cake martini, or a refreshing cucumber and basil gin cocktail.

Other Related Recipes

If you love cream cheese, then you should make some cheesecake! I love a savory caramelized onion cheesecake for brunch. Or a no-bake one topped with sweet apples. You can also try some fun and colorful blueberry cheesecake cookies.

For a sweeter version of French toast, try out this bananas foster version. Or for something else savory for brunch, you are sure to love a chorizo-spiced veggie breakfast flatbread or huevos rancheros with mango-corn salsa.

Special Equipment

• Flat pan or dish
• Griddle pan
• Sturdy spatula

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• Teal striped towel
• Small plate
• Large plate
• White coffee mug
• French press coffee maker (I got mine from the Causebox marketplace)