Bacon Stuffed French Toast

Serves 3

Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
9 slices short cut bacon
Cracked black pepper
1/2 loaf day old bread
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
Butter for cooking 

To serve
1 tbsp brown sugar
Strawberries
Blueberries
Mint
Maple syrup
Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Julienne 3 slices of bacon and place in a bowl with cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Season generously with pepper.
In a different shallow bowl use a fork to combine milk, eggs and vanilla.
Cut a slice almost all the way through a loaf of bread and then a second full slice directly behind it. This creates one piece of bread with a pocket in the centre. Stuff the bread pockets with the bacon and cheese mixture and then dip in the egg mixture to make French toast.
Put butter into a hot pan over medium heat. Toast bread for a few minutes on both sides until golden brown and the cheese has melted in the centre.
Meanwhile grill the remaining 6 slices of bacon on a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat until crispy.
Top the French toast with bacon, a pinch of brown sugar, fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup, mint and a dusting of icing sugar.