French Toast Casserole

This make-ahead French Toast Casserole transforms basic French bread into an amazing breakfast! Prep it the night before and bake in the morning for an easy, crowd-pleasing holiday breakfast or weekend brunch.

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Chill: 2

Total Time: 2 45

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

10-12 cups French bread cubed
2 cups milk or heavy cream
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with Non-stick spray and set aside.
Cut French bread into bite sized pieces, and place into prepared pan.
In a large bowl, combine milk, eggs, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Pour over top of the French bread.
Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F and remove covering from the pan. Cook for 35-40 minutes or until done and lightly browned on the top.
Remove from oven and top with berries, powdered sugar and maple syrup or your favorite toppings! Enjoy!

Notes

No day-old bread on hand? No worries! You can speed up the process by cutting fresh bread into cubes and laying them on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven for about 10 minutes to dry them out.

Want to add some extra flavor? Try mixing in 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg with the cinnamon, or add a splash of almond extract along with the vanilla - it's amazing!

For easier serving, let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes after baking. This helps it set up and makes it easier to cut into nice, clean squares.

Love a little crunch? Try sprinkling some chopped pecans or sliced almonds on top during the last 5 minutes of baking.

To check if it's done, insert a knife in the center - it should come out clean without any wet custard. The center should also feel set and not jiggly.
If the top gets too brown before the egg custard is done, cover with foil and continue baking.
Refrigerate overnight for best results but if you don't have that much time, at least 2 hours will work.

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