Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

To make the strawberry filling, combine the strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Let sit 15 minutes until strawberries give off juices.

Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

Beat in melted butter and vanilla until well combined.

Beat in flour, cinnamon and salt until well combined.

Carefully slice a pocket into the center of each slice of bread, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side.

Fill the pocket of each slice of bread with the strawberry filling mixture.

One at a time, soak the filled slices of bread in the egg mixture, about 30-40 seconds per side. Remove the bread and allow the excess batter to drip off. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining bread slices.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the filled slices of bread and cook until light golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes per side. Repeating with remaining slices of bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries as desired.