GOOD EATS

from Lake Martin Living Magazine December 2021

CULTURE SHOCK

Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole

Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole is a dish for everyone to enjoy. It’s a special treat that is perfect for Christmas morning. Mix it up the day before; pop it into the refrigerator; and bake the following day. An easy Christmas morning breakfast that will feed a hungry family or a house full of guests.

Christmas morning can be full of excitement, and you don’t want to miss a second of the festivities – opening gifts under the tree, seeing what Santa brought, playing with toys, and dumping out the stockings. No matter your traditions, make Christmas morning special with this delightful breakfast. A French toast casserole is simple and elegant, sweet and buttery, crunchy and custardy. It’s a breakfast that’s full of flavor with minimal effort. Make it now and bake it later. A simple, delicious and hearty casserole that also will get the cook out of the kitchen to enjoy the day.

Ingredients

1 loaf Italian Bread or a bakery-style loaf 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup half and half 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup melted butter

Gina Abernathy

Topping

1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 stick butter, cubed 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) Pancake/maple syrup for topping Toppings of Choice (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Slice Italian bread (or bread of your choice) into 18 to 20 1-inch slices and place onto a baking sheet. Toast in a 350-degree oven. Watch bread closely until slices are lightly toasted and dry but not turning brown. This usually takes 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, half and half, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon and butter. Mix until blended. Then, dip each bread slice into the egg mixture, coating well. Arrange bread slices in the prepared dish in two rows, overlapping slices. Pour the leftover egg mixture over the top of the bread. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Topping Directions

In a small bowl, combine the topping mixture ingredients and stir gently. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator alongside the casserole overnight. In the morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and sprinkle the topping evenly over the bread, being sure to get topping between the slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown and no liquid seeps out of the bread when pressed. Serve with maple or pancake syrup. Add additional toppings if desired: syrup, blueberries, sliced strawberries, powdered sugar or whipped topping. Or use them all. Absolutely delicious.

Super easy, super warm and super cozy. And let’s not forget – delicious. I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe and have a Merry Christmas.

~Gina Abernathy is the author and recipe creator behind the blog Home at Cedar Springs Farm. For more delicious recipes, or to follow Gina, check out her blog at homeatcedarspringsfarm.com.

Tips for The Best French Toast Casserole

n French bread will work, but personally, I like to use a loaf of Italian bread. It’s found in the bakery at my local grocery store, usually next to the French bread. n Toast bread slices before dipping them into the wet mixture. The crust will be crunchy, and the center will be soft and moist. n You can decide if you want to use all the topping mixture. I usually use all of it. n Sprinkle the topping between each slice of bread, not so much on the top. n The bread will soak up all the extra egg mixture as it cooks, making it super moist. n Nuts are optional. n Once baked, top as desired and make it memorable.