French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole is a straightforward make-ahead breakfast that’s good for holidays, brunch, or weekend mornings at dwelling. With cozy cinnamon-vanilla taste and a buttery topping, it’s a straightforward 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 tender and candy, completed with a buttery brown sugar pecan topping that provides the proper heat, crunchy chew.
Advisable Instruments: A 9×13 baking dish, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a chunk 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 Strategies: I really 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 Components

Bread: Use a sturdy, dense bread like brioche, challah, braided bread, or a thick-sliced bakery loaf for the very best custardy heart, and dry the cubes first in order that they absorb the custard with out getting mushy.
Custard Combination: Whisk the custard substances at room temperature for a easy, lump-free combination, ensuring to beat effectively so that you don’t get any “egg pockets.” Utilizing half-and-half or mild cream makes the casserole wealthy and bakery-style, however be at liberty 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

mixing pecan sauce to put on top of French Toast Casserole

Methods to 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 beneath).

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

Holly’s Suggestions For Improbable 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 sizzling, loosely lay foil on high for the final 10 to fifteen minutes.
Know when it’s executed: The middle ought to be sizzling and set, and a knife inserted within the center comes out clear.
Scaling: This recipe halves effectively for an 8×8 dish, nevertheless it bakes sooner, so begin checking early.

baked French Toast Casserole in the dish

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Maintain 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 (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

Whole Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Dry out the cubed bread by leaving it out for a couple 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 effectively 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 at the least 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 sizzling.
Serve heat with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Any sort of bread will work on this recipe, we choose dense bread resembling brioche or different thickly sliced bread.
Leftover French toast casserole could be refrigerated for as much as 4 days. Reheat parts within the microwave, oven, or air fryer till heat.
Elective Streusel Topping: If desired, the pecan topping could 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 effectively mixed and sprinkle over the casserole.

Diet data offered is an estimate and can range primarily based on cooking strategies and types of substances used.

Course Breakfast, Casserole

Delicacies American

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