Cheese & Sausage-Stuffed French Toast

     We're finally having some bone-chilling, cold weather.  Finally.  Friday I actually saw a mailman going door-to-door with his satchel, delivering mail in shorts.  This is Minnesota, for goodness sakes!  It should be cold in January...  The weather finally turned this morning and making Cheese & Sausage-Stuffed French Toast was the perfect way to spend a lazy (cold) morning.
     It will take a little longer, but Chicken, Apple & Fresh Sage Sausage Patties are a healthy alternative to Brown-and-Serve-Sausages in this recipe.  Either way, this stuffed French toast will make a great breakfast or brunch.

     Cheese & Sausage-Stuffed French Toast

• 1 8-ounce package brown-and-serve sausages or Chicken, Apple & Fresh Sage
   Sausage Patties (recipe here)
• 8-ounch loaf French or Italian bread
• 6 slices Muenster or Provolone cheese
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Butter
• Warm pure maple syrup
• assorted fresh fruit
1.  Prepare brown-and-serve sausages, or make Chicken, Apple & Fresh Sage Sausage Patties
2.  Cut six 1 1/2-inch-thick slices from the bread.  Halve each slice with a serrated knife, stopping before you have sliced all the way through the piece of bread.  The slice should be hinged.  Open the pocket and fill with a piece of cheese and sausages.  I found I needed 1 1/2 of the chicken & apple sausage patties to fill each bread slice. 
3.  In a large shallow dish, beat the eggs, milk, and salt until blended.  Place the filled bread slices in the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides of the bread.
4.  In a large (cast iron) skillet over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter.  Cook the stuffed bread until golden brown on both sides.  Add more butter if needed.
5.  Remove French Toast from the pan and plate.  Drizzle with warm maple syrup and serve with fresh fruit.

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