Blackberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

this recipe may look a little intimidating, but it's actually very easy! a nice twist on the same ol' french toast! this could be made with any berry/jam combination that you would like, but blackberries happen to be my favorite!

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 4  slices  Texas toast thick bread or 4  slices  thick sliced  French bread
• 5  eggs
• 1  cup milk
• 3⁄4 cup sugar or 3⁄4 cup Splenda sugar substitute, divided
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 8  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 pint fresh blackberries
• 1⁄4 cup  blackberry jam

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300. place bread in oven until crusty and kind of hard. Remove bread from oven. Raise oven temperature to 375.
2. In medium or large bowl, beat eggs with milk, 1/4c sugar (or splenda), and 1 t vanilla.
3. Tear each slice of bread into about 5 or 6 pieces and stir into egg mixture. Let sit.
4. In small bowl, combine cream cheese and 1/2 c sugar (or splenda). Set aside.
5. In another bowl, combine fresh blackberries and blackberry jam.
6. Spray bottom of a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Spoon half of bread/egg mixture into bottom of pan.
8. Put blackberry mixture on top of bread mixture in pan, by spoonfuls. Do the same with the cream cheese mixture.
9. Spoon remaining bread/egg mixture over berries and cream cheese.
10. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes, until fluffy and golden brown.
11. Serve with powdered sugar and syrup, if desired.