french toast casserole

french toast casserole

easy baked french toast casserole with a cinnamon and brown sugar syrup… delicious!

A delicious spin on a classic breakfast recipe that can feed a crowd with minimal work and effort. Filled with decadent flavours, prepare our French Toast Casserole overnight OR bake it right away!

Golden, caramelized toasts on the outside; creamy soft and pillowy on the inside with the perfect cinnamon syrup in every mouthful. All of the flavours of your favourite French toast made easy in a baking dish? YES, I’ll take it!

No dipping or flipping or frying, comfort food doesn’t get any better than throwing it in the oven. Imagine a dish full of warm and custardy French toast on a Sunday morning…

• PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
• COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES
• TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 
• SERVINGS: 8 - 10 PEOPLE

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 loaf thick sliced bread about 2-inches thick, (1.4 lb or 650 g loaf)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups milk (full fat or 2%)
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Icing sugar, to dust
• Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi fruits, pineapple, bananas or any other fruit to serve.

Instructions

1. Lightly grease an oven safe 9"×13" baking dish (22 cm x 33 cm).
2. Melt butter in a small pot over low heat. (Alternatively, melt in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.) 
3. Add 1 cup brown sugar, mixing well to combine. (If on the stove, let simmer for 1 minute to slightly dissolve the sugar.)
4. Pour mixture into prepared dish and spread out to evenly coat.
5. Beat together eggs, milk and vanilla. Set aside.
6. Combine remaining brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Set aside.
7. Arrange bread in a single layer over the butter/sugar mixture in the dish.
8. Pour half of the egg wash over bread. Top with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon. 
9. Arrange remaining bread slices over the top. Pour over remaining egg wash and top with remaining brown sugar/cinnamon. Lightly press bread into the egg wash to ensure slices are evenly soaked.
10. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to soak up the custard mixture, or overnight for the best results
11. When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before baking (if it has been in overnight) to get the chill out. 
12. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
13. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for a further 15 minutes. 
14. Top with icing/powdered sugar. Serve with the syrup from the dish.