Mesilla Valley Stuffed French Toast

My wife grew up in Mesilla New Mexico and thought she had tried every green chile dish to be had.  I've been making french toast since I was tall enough to reach the stove top, so this time I tried something she never considered.

A spin on traditional french toast, or 'pain perdu', where the pain in this case is supplied the gentle burn of hatch chiles.  The slices are stuffed with cream cheese and chiles.  Topped off with syrup or fruit, it is a little sweet and a little spicy.  About as complete a breakfast as you can have.

1 Large Challah Bread, slightly stale, cut into approximately ½” slices

Eggs

Milk (whole) or half and half, 1/4 cup of milk per egg

Salt, dash per egg

Cream Cheese, 1 oz per large slice

Roasted chopped green chilees, about 2 or 3 per 4 ounces of cream cheese according to desired flavor

Butter as needed for cooking

fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, jam, or other topping as desired
(4 eggs, 1 cup of milk, and 4 oz of cream cheese should produce 4 large slices.)

1. Mix green chile in with cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
2. Beat eggs and milk with a salt. For some extra chile flavor, optionally beat in finely chopped green chile. Put in wide bowl or pie dish or something large enough to fit bread slices.
3. Take bread slice and cut a pouch, starting through the crust on one edge (the edge from the bottom of the loaf works best), being careful not to puncture the side or cut through the other edges.
4. Using butter knife or spreader, fill bread with cream cheese filling.
5. Heat skillet or sauté pan on medium heat and melt some butter.
6. Place bread in egg mixture for 15 to 20 second a side, let rest briefly, then place in skillet 3 minutes a side.
7. To keep warm, place on a rack in oven at 350.

Serve with fruit and topping of choice.
Note: If you do not have challah bread, brioche and French bread work well. Other breads may be fine, too, but the more preservatives, the worse the result will be.

Howard Thompson