Karen's Rocky Mountain Blueberry French Toast

We're having a KAXE retreat this morning and I'm waiting diligently for the homemade breakfast to come to out of the oven. Thanks Karen!

Rocky Mountain Blueberry French Toast

12 slices stale French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
16 oz cream cheese, chilled, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup blueberries
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk

Generously grease 8 au gratin dishes.* Place 1/2 of the bread cubes in the dishes. Scatter cream cheese over the bread and sprinkle with one cup of the berries. Arrange the remaining bread cubes over the berries. In a large bowl combine the eggs, syrup and milk. Mix and pour evenly over the bread-cheese mixture. Spray the undersides of 8 pieces of foil generously with a vegetable spray and cover each au gratin dish. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, set the dishes out to bring them to room temp. Bake in a 350 degree oven, covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve with blueberry syrup.

*this can also be made in a 9x13 inch pan.

Blueberry syrup

1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 C water
1 C fresh blueberries
1 T unsalted butter

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and water over medium high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir occasionally. Stir in the blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes or until the blueberries burst. Add the butter. Stir until melted. Drizzle over French toast. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE from Karen: this recipe can be halved. I used fat free cream cheese and used 1/2 of an 8 oz bbrick and used all the maple syrup with 6 eggs. I also baked it for 30 minutes covered, and 30 uncovered....just watch it....every oven is different. I did not put the butter in the sauce either.