Oven Bake Cream Cheese French Toast

 One 16-ounce loaf unsliced Italian bread,
cubed with crusts on
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed
8 eggs
2-1/2 cups milk,
light cream, or half & half
6 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Place 1/2 the bread cubes on the bottom, then the cubed cream cheese, and then the remaining bread cubes. Beat together eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and syrup (we use a blender). Pour egg mixture over bread. Press bread down so all is covered with egg mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours (we freeze and thaw overnight in the
refrigerator).

Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes (it will stay warm in the oven for a few hours).
Serve with warm maple syrup.