Bread pudding and French toast are like first cousins. Traditionally one is dessert and one is breakfast, but they really are more alike than they are different: Both are made by soaking (preferably stale) bread in a milk and egg mixture and cooking it until slightly crisp on the outside and lusciously custardy on the inside.

In the April issue of Food Network Magazine, you’ll find five delicious French toast recipes, each made with a different type of bread and a different flavor profile. Some of them, like the Rum French Toast a la Mode (pictured above), can easily double as dessert without a change. My personal favorite, the Baked Croissant French Toast, can be tweaked just a bit to skew it further toward the dessert realm (although it’s pretty decadent as it is!). Simply swap out the plain croissants for chocolate croissants and double the sugar in the custard. You’ll have an over-the-top dessert bread pudding. I like to top it with a little sweetened whipped cream, the marmalade sauce from the recipe and a little extra chocolate sauce for good measure.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with chocolate treats morning, noon and night.

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Tired of missing out on Easter morning festivities like egg hunts because you’re preparing breakfast? It’s time to join in on the fun thanks to Paula Deen’s French toast casserole, which can be prepped the day before and baked off the morning of. Finish it off with her decadent praline topping, made with butter, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon.

Get the recipe:  Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Browse Food Network’s Easter menu, complete with recipes for all-day eating!