Banana Bread French Toast

A couple weeks ago, as we were road-tripping across the country to a wedding, Katie got the best gift a guy could ask for--a big bunch of $0.39/lb bananas from KwikTrip.  (Ok, it would have been better back when they were still $0.29/lb, but it's still pretty good.)  As it happened, the bunch was so big, we couldn't finish it by the time we got home.  But there was no way we were going to let those still-good bananas go to waste!  We peeled, mashed, and froze 'em for future use.  Then, this last week, we were experimenting with different leavening agents for the homestead (stay tuned for a future post with those results), and we ended up with a surplus of banana bread.  We could have also frozen that for future use, but we were still feeling all experimental-ey, so we decided to try something else.  After making our Independence Nog earlier this week, we had a half-dozen egg whites to use up, also.  This sounds like the perfect opportunity to find out what banana bread would taste like if it were french toastified.  (Or freedom toastified, if you prefer.)

Here's the surplus banana bread, sliced up and ready for action.  It's thirteen slices, if you're counting.

Next we melted a tablespoon or so of butter in a frying pan.  Little known fact: butter melting in a frying pan is the universal symbol for 'about-to-be-delicious.'

We dredged the banana bread slices through a beat-up mixture of the six leftover egg whites and about 2 tablespoons of milk.  This piece isn't getting soggy, it's soaking up extra flavor.

Then we fried them on the first side. (Ok, we realize that probably all you needed to figure out how to make this recipe was the title, but we like taking pictures of our supper.  It's like being an documentary journalist, but just in our own kitchen.  Also, we wouldn't have had a chance to make as many lame jokes if we just posted the recipe.)

Then we admired the perfect golden brown-ness of the first side while the second side was cooking.

All thirteen delicious pieces, ready for 'post-processing.'  What are you going to eat, Katie?

Just kidding, Katie can have some.  What to eat with it?  How about some sauteed aquaponic swiss chard and some homemade applesauce!  ♫We like to eat, eat, eat our ayples and banaynays...♫  It tastes a little like banana pancakes, except...toastier.  Katie says it tastes a little like banana bread with syrup.  Jake and Buddy the Elf don't think that's a bad thing.

The Recipe:
13 slices banana bread
6 egg whites (or 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons milk
1+ tablespoons butter

Melt butter in frying pan.  While butter is melting, beat together egg whites and milk.  Dredge bread slices through egg mixture and fry in frying pan until golden brown, turning once.  Refresh butter in frying pan between batches as necessary.

How have you made use of surplus bananas or banana bread?  What other kinds of breads have you french toastified?  Let us know in the comments section below!