Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite mealtime concepts. It's fast, easy and I can usually find enough breakfast ingredients in my refrigerator or pantry to pull together an entire meal. And anyone who has read my column more than once knows that fast and easy are two of my favorite concepts as they relate to family feasts -- as is the idea of sitting down and eating together.

Of course, most of the time I'm talking about dinner, but the fact is that you don't have to be eating dinner to share a family meal around the table. With everyone moving at such a fast pace, usually in different directions, I will take my family time anyway I can get it. That's why I often make the effort to do a little something special for weekend breakfasts.

Most weekends, there seems to be a window of opportunity for us to eat Saturday breakfast together. Well, sometimes it's more like brunch, as my boys are all teenagers and sleeping in whenever they can is high on their list of priorities.

What's high on my list is making something yummy enough to get everyone out of bed and to the table. Whole-grain pancakes, fresh fruit with Greek yogurt, honey and a sprinkling of crunchy granola, Toads in a Hole (eggs fried in a slice of bread) are all things I consider weekend fare. That's also the case for Almond-Crusted French Toast.

A longtime winner

French toast is a childhood favorite of mine. I loved the contrast between the eggy bread and the sweet syrup. And anything I could sprinkle powdered sugar on had my vote back then. Seems that some things never change, as I still enjoy it as much now, and my kids feel the same way.

In this version of the cinnamon and nutmeg-laced classic, I've added an element of crunch by coating the outside of the egg-and-milk soaked bread with almonds and crushed corn flakes. The coating browns beautifully and the crust that forms seems to lock in the creamy, custard-like texture inside the bread.

So whether it's breakfast for dinner, or breakfast for breakfast, as long as the sleep is out of their eyes, the time is still quality and the food is still delicious.

Reach Meredith Deeds at meredith@ meredithdeeds.com. Follow her on Twitter @meredithdeeds.