Blueberry Breakfast Bonanza

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) loaf French bread, cubed, about 6 cups
1 (16-ounce) package frozen blueberries, reserve 1 cup
(or 3 cups fresh)
12 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
10 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla Additional maple syrup for serving, optional

Instructions:

Coat a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray; place bread cubes inside. Sprinkle blueberries on top. In a large bowl beat Neufchatel cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, brown sugar, milk and maple syrup; continue beating until smooth. Add eggs, cinnamon and vanilla; continue beating until mixture is blended. Pour over bread and berries. Cover with foil and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Bake covered in a preheated 350ºF oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until there are no signs of visible liquid egg or about 20-25 minutes longer. Sprinkle remaining blueberries on top and serve with additional maple syrup if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Yields 10 servings.

Recipe courtesy of N.C. Egg Association