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French toast is incredibly delicious, but it's not exactly portable -- especially when topped with bananas and caramel. Because of this, it has never been an option for my brunch parties since I just don't have enough chairs around my dining room table to accommodate my guests.

Thankfully, threading French toast cubes onto kebabs totally solves the problem while, at the same time, making the dish more fun. You get all the flavors and textures you love in French toast, and you still have a free hand to hold a mimosa!

I like to use sourdough for French toast because I find it has more structural integrity than brioche or challah (which is particularly important for this application since it's on a skewer). Slice the bananas as thick or as thin as you like, and thread them whichever way you think looks best. For a little extra kick, add a couple tablespoons of rum to the caramel sauce before drizzling over the kebabs.

Bananas Foster French Toast Kebabs

Makes about 45 skewers

1 1/2-pound loaf sourdough bread

1 1/2 cups milk

5 large eggs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Olive oil

7 to 9 bananas

45 wooden skewers

Caramel sauce, for drizzling

Using a serrated knife, remove all the crust from the bread. (Discard or save for DIY breadcrumbs.) Cut the loaf into 1-inch cubes; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.

Lightly coat a large, nonstick frying pan with oil and set over medium heat. When the pan is hot, drop a handful of the bread into the milk mixture. Allow to soak for about 30 seconds, then, one by one, arrange them in a single layer in the hot pan. Don't crowd the pan; make sure there is room between each cube so they brown nicely.

Let cook for about 1 minute, then flip and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the pan and set on a plate. Repeat until all the bread has been soaked and cooked.

Cut 3 of the bananas into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Thread alternating slices of bananas and pieces of French toast onto the skewers, slicing more bananas as needed. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with caramel.

Caramel Sauce (recipe by Emma Christensen)

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

Pinch salt

4 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks

Equipment:

1- to 2-quart saucepan

2- to 4-quart saucepan

Spatula

Long-handled whisk

Instant-read or candy thermometer, optional

Jars, for storing the caramel sauce

Pour the heavy cream into the smaller pot and put it on a back burner over low to medium heat. Don't let it come to a boil; just keep it warm.

In the larger pot, combine the sugar and water. Set over high heat. Stir until the sugar is completely wet and looks sandy, then stop stirring.

Caramelize the sugar: Let the sugar cook undisturbed for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on your stove. First it will begin to bubble around the edges or in just a few spots around the pan. Next the entire surface will come to a boil and the sugar will go from opaque to clear. Then you will see yellow streaks, and the sugar will eventually turn amber. When you start to see very dark streaks, swirl the pan gently to make sure the sugar is cooking evenly.

When the sugar is very dark amber, or if you start to see wisps of smoke, remove the pan from heat. If you'd like to double-check on a thermometer, the sugar should be between 325 F and 350 F at this point -- the longer and darker you cook the caramel, the deeper the flavor.

As soon as the caramel is dark amber, remove the pan from heat and pour in the cream. The mixture will bubble up to almost twice its volume and release a lot of steam -- be very careful! Use a long-handled whisk to whisk vigorously until the bubbling subsides.

Add the salt and butter to the pan, and whisk until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and continue simmering the sauce for another 5 to 10 minutes. Cook for less time for a thinner caramel sauce, or for longer for a thicker sauce. The sauce will also thicken as it cools, so stop cooking when the sauce is still a bit loose for your liking.

Transfer the cooled sauce to jars and refrigerate. The sauce will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

(Kaitlin Flannery is the social media manager for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)