Stuffed French Toast at home

I love stuffed french toast at IHOP but we are really trying to cut back on our eating out. I know I can make it cheaper. Plus we can have it more often because the closest IHOP to us is almost an hour away.

It is so simple, it's crazy I have not made it before. If you love it in the restaurant, give it a try.

For the custard:
Eggs and cream. Just like any other french toast. How much french toast you are making will determine how much eggs and cream you will need. I also put a splash of vanilla in my custard.

For the stuffed toast:
I used brown sugar bread made by pepperidge farms. You could use any bread you like, but this added another flavor to the french toast. Spread a layer of cream cheese on each slice of bread. Top one slice with jam. You can make flavor you love depending on what ever jam you want to use. We love strawberries, so we used strawberry jam. Top with a slice of bread and dunk into the custard mix.

Cook it on a griddle until it's browned and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. Top with powdered sugar and you can syrup or more jam.



We served this with sausage and grits. Three of us had this meal for the cost of one stuffed french toast meal at IHOP.

Sausage and Mushroom Pizza - Hold the crust

Sausage and mushrooms are our favorite pizza toppings. It seems there are never enough of those toppings when you order a pizza though. I saw some great looking portobello caps at the store and thought they would make a great dinner. I usually just grill them and serve them as a side. I know some people use them in place of meat because they are so meaty tasting, but with my husband it would be hard to have a meal without meat.

I found hot italian sausage on sale and a bell went off. Sausage and mushrooms. It's a combo we love so I knew this would be dinner one night. Plus since I love pizza and my husband only eats it because I like it, I knew it would be a chance for me to have those pizza flavors without it actually being pizza.

Portobellos stuffed with sausage:

6 large portobello caps
1 lb bulk hot italian sausage (you could use sweet, but we love hot)
your favorite tomato sauce
lots of mozzarella cheese

Grill or bake the mushroom caps until just tender. Brown the sausage and drain off fat. When the mushrooms are done, put just a little tomato sauce on then add sausage and cheese. Bake until bubbly.

Serve with a salad and bread sticks. It's a different take on the normal pizza.