Eggnog French Toast

Description: I made this up for Christmas breakfast one year. It's nice because you can prepare it the night before and have minimal work to make it the next morning. It also has a mild eggnog flavor, so if you prefer a stronger eggnog flavor, you may want to drizzle some on before serving instead of syrup. The prep/cook times do not include the 8 hour/overnight refrigeration period.

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
• 2/3 cup butter, melted

Steps:

1. Combine eggs, sugar, nutmeg, eggnog, and rum extract, and stir well.
2. Place bread slices into a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan in one layer.
3. Drizzle egg mixture over each bread slice. There will be excess that will flow down to the bottom of the pan - it will be soaked up by the bread while in the refrigerator.
4. Cover the pan and refrigerate. Turn once during an 8 hour or overnight period.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F.
6. Carefully pour the melted butter into a 15" jelly roll pan.
7. Move the french toast into the newly prepared pan, still in a single layer.
8. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden.
9. Serve with your favorite toppings - some ideas include syrup, extra eggnog, powdered sugar, nutmeg, or cranberries and cranberry sauce.