Ham & Cheese Stuffed Fireball French Toast
Fireball French Toast alone would be enough to call everyone over for brunch, but take the next step and send out the invites for Stuffed French Toast instead! Ooo la la~
I’m going to come right out and say it. I am cheap. And I’m not much for following the crowd, so I often times substitute various things in for vanilla extract in cooking. I love vanilla, but I don’t agree that it has to be in every baked item. Plus I buy super small bottles when I do need it, because it’s so pricey, and I never have it on hand. Do you know what I always have in the fridge? Yep.
Fireball Whisky.
I am an unabashed lover of Fireball Whisky, and I’m making no excuses for it. I might have gotten a handle of it for my birthday, I’m such a fan. The flavor just so happens to work exceptionally well with baked goods too. Score! Check out our Fireball No Bake Cake Mix Truffle Balls for another sweet treat.
Fireball Substitution
I’ve always read that alcohol burns off when cooked, but I’m not sure I buy it, especially with a recipe like this when it isn’t cooked overly long. Be sure to serve this recipe only to adults that are aware alcohol was incorporated in the cooking process.
If you want a non-alcoholic version, remove the Fireball Whiskey, increase the milk to 1/2 a cup, and add a tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the egg-milk mixture before mixing well. Proceed as below. Ahem. Skip the Whisky in the warmed maple syrup too.
Recipe Plan.
We’re not doing any cockamamy (and messy) special bread slicing and dicing, and we’re not going to try to hold together a sandwich and dunk the whole thing without losing most of it along with our minds. We’re going easy on ourselves.
Combine the eggs, milk, a pinch of kosher salt and Fireball Whisky in a shallow container. I’m using my trusty casserole pan, but a pie plate or a big bowl would work too. (Affiliate links follow – see disclaimer page for details.)
Heat a griddle pan or skillet over medium heat. While it’s warming, separate out the deli ham into individual pieces and toss it on the pan to heat through. You can sub in deli turkey, chicken, pastrami, roast beef… you get the idea. Use what you like (and have on hand).
Remove the deli ham to a platter while you prep the bread. (Wipe down the griddle pan to prevent scorching down the line.) We used regulation whole wheat sandwich bread, because that’s what we had, but the sky is the limit on this. White bread works, Texas Toast is a treat, challah bread is awesome, even leftover rolls can do the job. Go simple or go big – again, it’s your choice.
Coat the bread in the egg-milk-Fireball mixture. You can let it soak for a few minutes if you want, but this will make a denser, much more custardy French Toast (and you might need to double the egg mixture). Middle son does not care for eggs, so we make this with a dip and turn method. No long soaking around here.
If you do let it soak, make sure you cook it through thoroughly – mushy French Toast is no joke. Keep the burner on medium to prevent burning.
My new favorite spatula is called a “little fish turner” but I’ve only used it for that once. It works great for flipping pancakes and French toast as well as turning meats and veggies on a sheet pan. It’s super thin, so it’s easy to maneuver. Give it a look see!
Coat the griddle well with butter or cooking spray, and cook the French toast on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove each French Toast to a baking sheet while you cook the rest.
Can I make it in advance? Will it freeze?
You can hold the French Toast for a while at this point – you can keep it warming on low heat in the oven or even refrigerate it for later. Warm it through in a low oven before proceeding if you refrigerate it.
Unfortunately, the longest this will hold is a couple of hours, and it won’t keep once it’s Stuffed French Toast. This recipe is not ideal for freezing, either, so plan your crowd accordingly!
Once you are ready to assemble the Stuffed French Toast, turn on the broiler and place the ham under the cheese on a piece of French Toast set on a cooking sprayed sheet pan.
Again – any cheese will work here. We used swiss and it was yummy. Use your favorite!
Pop the French Toast under the broiler until it is melted and bubbling, about a minute.
Put a second piece of French Toast on top of the melted sammie immediately. Press down lightly to make sure the sandwich stays together.
Cut your Stuffed French Toast into diagonals, or go with my preferred method: toast soldiers. You can also dust the Stuffed French Toast with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of whipped cream if you want, for an extra pretty presentation. Add a little Fireball Whisky to warm maple syrup in a ramekin and serve.
Ham and Cheese Stuffed Fireball French Toast
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray or butter, for pan
- 4 Eggs, large
- 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Fireball Whisky, plus extra for serving
- Kosher Salt, heavy pinch
- 8 slices Bread (wheat, white, Texas or your favorite)
- 8 slices Deli ham or favorite meat, sliced thinly
- 4 slices Swiss Cheese or favorite cheese, sliced thinly
- Maple Syrup for Serving
- Confectioners Sugar or Whipped Cream for presentation
Instructions
- Preheat griddle pan or skillet on stove top to medium heat.
- Combine eggs, milk, whisky and pinch of kosher salt in shallow pan. Whisk well. NOTE: For alcohol free version, increase milk to 1/2 cup, and add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to replace Fireball Whisky.
- Heat ham on griddle or skillet to warm through. Remove from pan to a small bowl or platter and wipe skillet clean of residue to prevent scorching.
- Spray pan with cooking spray or brush with butter.
- Coat bread with egg mixture on both sides and place on pre-heated pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Preheat broiler.
- Place four pieces of bread on sheet pan and top evenly with ham and cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove open faced, melted sammie from oven and immediately top with another piece of French toast. Press down gently to combine into sandwich. Cut into decorative pieces as desired.
- Add Fireball Whisky to warmed maple syrup to taste. Serve syrup with Stuffed French Toast immediately.
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