From the menu of … Last Resort Grill, 174 W. Clayton St., Athens. 706-549-0810, www.lastresortgrill.com
Q: I’d love to have the recipe for the Last Resort Grill’s loaded French toast. I loved it so much, and I know it’s one of their best-sellers. Thanks a bunch.
— Sophie Kopec, Johns Creek
A: Tommy Wedge, kitchen manager for Athens’ Last Resort Grill, sent us the recipe and the photo. Wedge wrote that Loaded French Toast has been on the menu in some form or another for at least the past eight years. This is a half-size recipe from what’s served at the restaurant.
The filling varies constantly. “You can use anything including frozen fruit, fresh fruit, preserves, peanut butter, chocolate or butterscotch chips,” he said. The recipe here features pumpkin. Be sure to use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Wedge notes that the water bath is essential to keep the French toast from drying out during its hourlong baking.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
Last Resort Grill’s French Toast
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves: 9
9 eggs, divided
7/8 cup canned pumpkin (half of 15-ounce can)
3/4 cup ricotta
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (16-ounce) loaf challah, cut into 18 slices
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Whipped cream, powdered sugar and fresh fruit for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, make filling by stirring together 4 eggs, pumpkin, ricotta, cream cheese and granulated sugar. Combine thoroughly and set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together half-and-half, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining 5 eggs. Dip 9 slices of challah into this mixture and arrange in bottom of baking dish. Cover with filling. Dip remaining 9 slices of challah into egg mixture and arrange on top of filling. Pour any extra filling around bread slices. Cover the baking dish with foil.
Place baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Carefully move this to the oven. Bake 1 hour.
Carefully remove roasting pan from oven. Lift baking dish from roasting pan. Remove foil and sprinkle brown sugar over French toast. Return baking dish to oven for 5 minutes or until brown sugar has melted. Remove baking dish from oven, cut French toast into servings and garnish with whipped cream, powdered sugar and fresh fruit if desired.
Per serving: 413 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 16 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 19 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 253 milligrams cholesterol, 436 milligrams sodium.
