Savory French Toast
Like traditional french toast, this Latin-inspired Savory French Toast features bread soaked in whisked eggs. Taking the egg mixture a step further, we add crumbled aged cotija, ground cumin, and finely chopped cilantro. An extra-long soak in the egg mixture yields a creamy custard-like interior that is muy delicioso!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – Why Savory French Toast?
If you have followed Beyond Mere Sustenance for any length of time, you may be aware that I don’t really care for a sweet breakfast or brunch? I love savory breakfasts like this breakfast casserole, these breakfast burritos, a bowl of green chile oatmeal, or this Peruvian quinoa.
I grew up on weekend “big breakfasts” that often included sweet french toast with syrup, and a side of bacon or sausage. I loved all that sweetness as a child, but I do not love it as a late-life adult. However, I do love french toast.
So, what’s a girl to do? Create this savory french toast recipe of course. Given my focus on all-things Latin-inspired, I knew what I needed to do! Is it “Mexican?” No. However, I have specified ground cumin, garlic, cotija, and cilantro for the egg custard. Additionally, my favorite topping is spicy tomato confit – a luscious tomato confit slow-cooked with chile de árbol, cilantro, and oregano.
Question: Shouldn’t the “french” in french toast be capitalized? While you will find differences of opinions on this, I go with the Chicago Manual of Style as summed up in this article in Grammarphobia. If you look at my posts like this manhattan variant, and this dutch oven beef stew, you’ll see I aim for consistency (I sometimes fail), and that is the aim. Pick one and stick with it!
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- bread – I recommend a crusty bread with soft interior like this Italian-style Luciane bread. French bread that is widely available in the market bakery section will work as well. The choice is pretty subjective, so use what you like.
- eggs
- milk – I keep whole milk in the refrigerator for my husband’s coffee, and that is my choice for this egg mixture. You can use your preferred dairy or plant-based milk.
- cheese – I recommend a dry, somewhat hard cheese like the aged cotija that I use. It is a Mexican cheese that I always have on hand. It is crumbly, and doesn’t really melt. You can substitute something like parmesan or romano, but they’re not “Mexican.”😜
- garlic
- ground cumin
- cilantro – We love the addition of fresh herbs to the egg mixture. If you don’t care for cilantro, try oregano (especially Mexican oregano), or parsley.
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
🔪 Instructions
- Step 1 – Add eggs, milk, ground cumin, cotija, cilantro, garlic, sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously. NOTE: It is important that the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined to ensure a consistent surface on your french toast.
- Step 2 – Add your sliced bread to the egg mixture, pressing it down. NOTE: Soak your sliced bread in a snug container to maximize the depth of the egg. It will facilitate the bread absorbing the egg mixture. The longer you soak your bread, the more egg mixture will be absorbed. This is a matter of personal preference. I leave mine a full minute on each side.
- Step 3 – Flip the sliced bread, and let it soak up the egg – another minute or so.
- Cook the savory french toast – To a large sauté pan over medium (not high) heat, add the butter and/or olive oil. When the butter is melted, spread it around, and add the bread slices. Cook until they’re golden brown, then flip, and repeat. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
🥗Toppings Suggestions
- We love tomato confit and a runny egg! With the french toast atop tender greens like arugula and/or baby spinach, it’s a nutritious meal!
- If you love sautéed mushrooms, they’d be awesome on savory french toast. Try a little Mennonite or asadero over the top while they’re still hot (so it melts).
- Sliced avocado or even guacamole would be awesome.
- Don’t rule out just a runny egg. Poached or basted are my favorites.
- If you need meat, crumble some chorizo, turkey breakfast sausage, or bacon over the top before adding that egg!
- Do you love fresh salsa? A fresh pico de gallo may be just what you’re looking for.
❓ FAQ
I will defer to Mark Andersen on this one! He says YES! After we each had one for brunch on photo day, he had one for breakfast the 2 days following.
💭 Tips
Stale bread makes the best french toast! If the bread is too fresh or soft, it may fall apart in the egg mixture.
You can adjust how much custard you soak up by leaving it in the bowl for a longer or shorter time. The longer you go, the creamier and more custardy it’ll end up. We like it extra eggy, and I leave it for a good minute on each side. The recipe includes plenty of custard for this.
I cook my french toast at lower heat because I let the bread soak up as much egg as possible. Cooking it more slowly results in a creamy, custardy interior.
Saturday mornings we enjoy a leisurely “big” breakfast/brunch as we’re both home in the morning. We still attempt to keep it pretty healthy. This savory french toast recipe is probably higher in fats, carbs, and calories, and lower in protein than more of what I make. However, I subscribe to the “all things in moderation” method, and I just balance it out at lunch and dinner. It works for us!
Latin-Inspired Savory French Toast
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Ingredients
- 4 slices rustic bread - thick sliced
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 large eggs - whisked
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro - finely chopped
- 2 ounces aged cotija - crumbled or grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Add eggs, milk, ground cumin, cotija, cilantro, garlic, sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously.
- Add your sliced bread to the egg mixture, pressing it down.
- Flip the sliced bread, and let it soak as to your preference. NOTE: We like ours eggy, and I soak for about a minute on each side rather than just dipping.
- To a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and/or olive oil. When the butter is melted, spread it around, and add the bread slices. Cook until they’re golden brown, then flip, and repeat.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
This is a great change of pace from the traditional french toast with syrup. I really enjoyed this recipe, and the french toast is very good left over – just heat it up in a dry pan.