I am not a morning person. (Coffee first is my motto.) I wake up each day rather bleary-eyed and struggling to respond to a raring-to-go (and loud) 4 year old and a darling little girl who wants to throw down on some serious grub the moment her little feet touch the ground. I can usually placate them with yogurt or a banana until a proper breakfast is served, but this overnight dish is especially helpful in making my mornings a little more peaceful.
This Baked French Toast Casserole is great for lazy weekend mornings. It’s also nice when guests stay over so there’s less fuss about food and more time to spend together. And it’s perfect for Christmas morning — all the prep work is done the night before so you’re not rushed to feed your hungry brood and can leisurely enjoy opening presents with family and friends.
Even if you’re up late putting toys together, this recipe is super easy to assemble: just slice a loaf of french bread and cover with an egg mixture seasoned with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; let the bread soak up the flavors overnight. In the morning, slather on a decadent chopped pecan topping and pop it into the oven to bake.
I write this on the cover because I’m rather dull first thing in the morning and in no mood to search for a recipe’s instructions.
By the time the kids have torn through their presents and are refusing to take any more pictures, breakfast is ready! As an added bonus, the cinnamon and nutmeg will make the house smell wonderfully like Christmas.
Make your Christmas morning even more magical with this simple and delicious Baked French Toast Casserole. It can be enjoyed straight out of the oven as is or you can up the sweet factor with a light drizzle of maple syrup.
Serve with fresh berries, tall glasses of orange juice and, of course, a side of bacon. Because what’s breakfast without the meats! Enjoy! — v.
The 12 Baking Days of Christmas 2015
Day 1 ❄︎ Cookies For Santa
Day 2 ❄︎ Cranberry Bliss Bars
Day 3 ❄︎ Saltine Toffee Bark
Day 4 ❄︎ Holiday Baked Brie
Day 5 ❄︎ Grinch Crinkle Cookies
Day 6 ❄︎ Baked French Toast Casserole
Day 7 ❄︎ Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Day 8 ❄︎ Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Day 9 ❄︎ Cherry-Rum Biscotti
Day 10 ❄︎ Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Day 11 ❄︎ Snowflake Sugar Cookies
Day 12 ❄︎ Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
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Baked French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread (13-16 oz)
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- dash kosher salt
PRALINE TOPPING- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare a 9×13″ baking dish by coating with no-stick cooking spray or greasing with butter.
- Step 2 In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well blended.
- Step 3 Cut French bread into 1-inch-thick slices. Dip and coat bread slices in milk mixture. Arrange slices in two overlapping rows in baking dish. Pour remaining milk mixture over and between bread slices, ensuring all slices are covered evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Step 4 For the Praline Topping: cream butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg together until well blended. Fold in chopped pecans. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
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Step 5
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread praline topping evenly over bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired.
This recipe is adapted from Food Network.
