French Toast Casserole

I recently made this for Christmas Eve dinner at a breakfast-for-dinner get together at a friend’s house.

This French toast casserole is an easy make-ahead breakfast, as the bread needs to sit overnight (or at least 8 hours) in order to soak up all of the liquids you will add to it.

You also have the flexibility to make this casserole tailored to your style : you can cook it for a shorter amount of time to create a more bread pudding-like consistency or longer for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf crusty sourdough or French bread
• 8 whole eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cubed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with softened butter. Tear or cut bread into cubes and evenly distribute bread in the pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add butter pieces and cut them into the dry mixture with a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store the topping in a plastic resealable bag in the refrigerator.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove baking dish from refrigerator and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top.
5. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, bread pudding-like texture or for 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.
6. Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and fresh fruit.

FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with softened butter.

Get a crusty loaf of bread, the older and more dried out, the better. Tear or cut bread into cubes and evenly distribute them bread pieces into the pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl crack the eggs. Pour in some whole milk, then some heavy cream.

Pour in some granulated sugar and a bunch of vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.

Then pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread.

Make sure the bread is completely soaked by the egg mixture, pressing the bread down if necessary.

Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar , cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add in a stick of butter that has been cubed.

And using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.

Store the topping in a plastic resealable bag in the refrigerator.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF.

Remove the bread mixture from the refrigerator and uncover.

Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the bread mixture.

Bake for an hour.

Scoop out individual servings.

And then top with butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and some fresh fruit.