Creamy and Chocolaty Stuffed French Toast

This morning, I had to go to my yearly doctor's physical.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to make breakfast before I left.   Needless to say, I was starving when I finally got home.  The whole drive back, I was imagining what fabulous breakfast I would make myself.  I was craving chocolate and bread.  Hmmm....but I've recently been eating eggs in the morning for an extra energy boost.  How would I combine the two?  Stuffed French toast!  I have never made my own stuffed French toast although I have had it for brunch at a cafe or two.  Why had I never done this before?  It's so simple yet so incredibly satisfying.  Definitely a new breakfast to keep in mind for the future!

The cream cheese warms up and the chocolate melts into it, creating the most unbelievable creamy center to this French toast.  With a slightly crispy exterior, this dish has great texture as well as great taste!  I'm going to keep experimenting with this stuffed French toast.  Perhaps different cheeses?  Fruit on the inside?  Nuts?  Seeds?  Almond butter?  The possibilities are endless!  I can't wait for tomorrow's breakfast...

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of your favorite bread (I used two-day-old pain meunier from Clear Flour)
• 1-2 tbsp cream cheese (I used whipped because I love the lightness and fluffiness)
• 1 tbsp mini chocolate chips (or any chocolate will do)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• pinch of cinnamon
• tiny pinch of salt
• butter for greasing the pan

Directions:

1. Spread your cream cheese on both slices of bread.  You just need a thin coat on each slice; don't overdo it or you'll have a mess! 
2. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cream cheese on one slice, and then close the "sandwich" with the other slice.
3. With a fork, beat your egg, milk, cinnamon, and salt together in a shallow bowl (or plate-bowl) about the size of your bread if possible.
4. Put the bread-cream cheese-chocolate chip sandwich in the egg mixture and let it sit for a minute.  Turn the sandwich over and let it sit for another minute until all the egg has been absorbed into the bread.
5. Heat your pan to medium heat.  When the pan is hot, butter it and immediately put down your egg-soaked sandwich.  Let it cook on each side for about 2 minutes until golden brown on both sides.  Make sure the egg in the bread has cooked through and that the chocolate is all nice and melty.  Remove from the heat.
6. Cut in half to admire the ooey-gooeyness.  Then, devour.

Mmm pretty golden brown.

So excited to cut it open and look inside...

It did not disappoint.  Perfectly creamy and gooey and chocolaty inside.

First bite...

Still admiring the gooey center and crispy exterior.

And then the rest is history...in my belly.