French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole is a simple make-ahead breakfast that’s good for holidays, brunch, or weekend mornings at residence. With cozy cinnamon-vanilla taste and a buttery topping, it’s a simple recipe everybody will love.

slice of French Toast Casserole on a plate with berries

Taste: Wealthy cinnamon-vanilla custard soaks into the bread and bakes up mushy and candy, completed with a buttery brown sugar pecan topping that provides the proper heat, crunchy chunk.
Really helpful Instruments: A 9×13 baking dish, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a bit of foil for overlaying the casserole whereas it rests.
Time-Saving Tip: For a fast shortcut, use pre-cubed bakery bread or dry the bread cubes within the oven for a couple of minutes to avoid wasting time.
Serving Options: I like serving it heat with maple syrup, whipped cream, or contemporary fruit. Once I’m feeding a crowd, I prefer to set out a easy topping bar with berries and whipped cream so everybody can construct their very own plate.

brown sugar , milk , pecans , eggs , cinnamon , bread , butter and vanilla with labels to make French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole Elements

Bread: Use a sturdy, dense bread like brioche, challah, braided bread, or a thick-sliced bakery loaf for the most effective custardy heart, and dry the cubes first so that they take in the custard with out getting mushy.
Custard Combination: Whisk the custard components at room temperature for a clean, lump-free combination, ensuring to beat properly so that you don’t get any “egg pockets.” Utilizing half-and-half or gentle cream makes the casserole wealthy and bakery-style, however be happy to swap for milk.
Variations: Make it nut-free by skipping the pecans and including a streusel or coarse sugar topping. Toss in blueberries or sliced strawberries for a fruity brunch twist, or stir in orange zest for a shiny, bakery-style taste.

adding spices to egg mixture to make French Toast Casserole

adding egg mixture to bread pieces to make French Toast Casserole

mixing pecan sauce to put on top of French Toast Casserole

Make French Toast Casserole

Dry the bread cubes. Add to a greased 9×13 dish.
Whisk the custard and pour it over the bread.
Combine the buttery brown sugar topping and spoon it excessive.
Cowl and chill. Bake (full recipe under).

To bake: If frozen, thaw the casserole within the fridge in a single day and bake as directed.

Holly’s Ideas For Unbelievable French Toast

For completely dry bread: 6 to eight minutes in a 350°F oven helps the custard soak in evenly and prevents a gummy center.
Press to soak: After pouring custard, gently press bread down so the highest layer will get moistened too.
Chill time issues: One hour is the minimal, in a single day is even higher for a cohesive, custardy slice.
Keep away from a too-brown high: If the topping is getting darkish earlier than the middle is scorching, loosely lay foil on high for the final 10 to fifteen minutes.
Know when it’s accomplished: The middle needs to be scorching and set, and a knife inserted within the center comes out clear.
Scaling: This recipe halves properly for an 8×8 dish, however it bakes sooner, so begin checking early.

baked French Toast Casserole in the dish

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Hold leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

Freeze parts in an hermetic container with parchment between items for greatest separation. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then heat within the oven or air fryer. Reheat within the oven at 325°F lined with foil till warmed by means of (greatest for conserving it fluffy).

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook dinner Time 30 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour

Complete Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Dry out the cubed bread by leaving it out for a number of hours or baking in an oven preheated to 350°F for six to eight minutes.
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and unfold the bread cubes evenly within the dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the eggs, half-and-half, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon till properly mixed. Pour the egg combination evenly over the bread.
For the topping, whisk the melted butter and ⅓ cup brown sugar. Stir within the pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently spoon the topping over the casserole.
Cowl the casserole dish and permit it to take a seat for not less than 1 hour (or as much as 48 hours).
Take away the casserole from the fridge and let it relaxation on the counter whereas the oven preheats to 350°F.
Bake the French toast uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes or till a knife inserted within the heart comes out clear and is scorching.
Serve heat with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Any sort of bread will work on this recipe, we desire dense bread resembling brioche or different thickly sliced bread.
Leftover French toast casserole might be refrigerated for as much as 4 days. Reheat parts within the microwave, oven, or air fryer till heat.
Non-compulsory Streusel Topping: If desired, the pecan topping might be changed with a streusel topping. Mix 3 tablespoons every brown sugar, flour, and butter with ¼ cup oats, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Combine till properly mixed and sprinkle over the casserole.

Vitamin data supplied is an estimate and can fluctuate primarily based on cooking strategies and types of components used.

Course Breakfast, Casserole

Delicacies American

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