Wake up and smell the French Toast Casserole! While making normal french toast for a crowd can be a little daunting if you don't have a big griddle, this fast breakfast casserole encompasses all the flavors of french toast without all the bread dipping and flipping. And the absolute best part? You can prepare it the night before, so all you have to do in the morning is make yourself a cup of coffee and throw the casserole dish in the oven. Brunch is served before you even had a chance to open your eyes.
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How to Make French Toast Casserole
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To begin, cut up some crusty-day old bread. Leftover french bread works well for this as well as wheat, sourdough, white bread, brioche, and challah. Use leftover bagels, even! Just stay away from soft and think sandwich bread. It'll turn into a goopy mess once you introduce the custard to the baking dish. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and set aside while you prepare the French Toast Casserole recipe.
In a medium bowl, whisk together whole milk, heavy cream, white sugar, light brown sugar, large eggs, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the bread mixture to the casserole dish and top with the egg mixture, mixing gently. Cover the French Toast bake with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge until the morning. You can always cook this right away, just let the bread cubes soak for a minimum of 15 minutes.
The next morning, preheat your oven to 350F and remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. Bake the Overnight French Toast Casserole until golden brown and crispy and the custard is set, about 45 minutes. Remove the casserole and top with your favorite toppings. Anything from maple syrup and cream cheese, to blueberries and pecans.
French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf crusty day-old bread (About 13-16 oz)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 8 eggs
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 F.
- Coarsely chop the bread into 1 inch cubes, or rip into pieces of about that size. Place in the baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, heavy cream, both sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Pour mixture over bread. If you'd like to cook it now, let it stand for 15 minutes more before baking. Otherwise, cover and refrigerate until you're ready to bake.
- Bake until golden and the top is just beginning to crisp up, about 45 minutes. Can be cooked longer if you'd like a more crisp texture.
- Serve with authentic maple syrup and enjoy!
