You Didn't Know Your French Toast Needed Pringles, But Life Is a Journey

I’m a Gemini, which some days feels like I have the appetites of two people. Whatever I think of my astrological burden, I do appreciate duality, and think it is part and parcel of my being a solidly and person rather than an or person. I don’t like to choose between things. I like spring and autumn, Stones and Beatles, pie and cake.

So it goes to figure that I am also a salty and sweet kind of person. Chips make me want candy and vice-versa. I go back and forth between the two, handfuls of popcorn punctuated with an occasional Milk Dud, potato chips washed down with root beer, and sausage dunked in my pancake syrup puddle. But I also love foods where the two are actually paired, like chocolate-covered pretzels, manchego cheese with quince paste, and salted caramel.

I wanted to get some of that salty-sweet thing going in my French toast. The best version I'd ever eaten involved thick-cut slices of eggy challah bread soaked in rich custard, then rolled in a combination of crushed corn flakes and sugar before being fried in butter and served at a hotel buffer. I tried mimicking that at home, sprinkling it with salt, but it didn’t quite satisfy my craving.

I wondered what a better crust might be to get me that crunchy coating and amp up the salinity. At first I thought potato chips, but crushed potato chips tend to get a little sharp, and I don’t want my breakfast to shred my upper palate. But I liked the idea of the potato chip salty thing.

Pringles. Potato enough, without being too potato-forward. Crunchy enough without being dangerous, and unapologetically salty. If you, too, like that sweet-salty thing, my fellow ands out there, this French toast is right up your alley. And if you usually are an or person, it just might convert you.

Pringles Crusted French Toast

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 thick slices challah or brioche or other eggy bread, slightly stale if possible
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk or half and half
1/2 canister original flavor Pringles potato crisps, crushed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons salted butter

Directions

In a wide, shallow dish, whisk the eggs and milk until smoothly combined. In a second wide shallow dish, mix the crushed Pringles with the sugar and cinnamon.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Lay the bread slices in the milk and egg mixture and flip once to coat. Once they have been flipped let them sit in the custard until it is absorbed, then carefully transfer to the Pringles dish, turning and pressing lightly to coat each slice of bread with the mixture.

Transfer the coated slices to the pan and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes, before gently flipping to cook on the other side, about 2 minutes more. When the French toast is crispy and browned on both sides and cooked through, transfer to a plate. Serve hot with the topping of your choice. I like it just plain, but if you want syrup or jam or the like, I’m not going to argue.