Baked French Toast Casserole

By lamarandrose

Baked French Toast Casserole comes together with a custard mixture baked into the bread like bread pudding and a praline topping that will knock your socks off! This is our #1 reader favorite breakfast.

Ingredients

• butter (for preparing baking dish)
• 1 loaf French bread
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Details

Adapted from theslowroasteditalian.com

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare 9x13 baking dish by generously buttering the entire dish.
Set baking dish aside.
Slice French bread, on the bias approximately 1-inch thick.
Arrange slices in your prepared baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
Set dish aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and whisk until blended.
Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure they are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture.
Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices.
I like to make sure all my slices are good and coated. Even dunking them in the mixture sometimes.
Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Scoop out praline topping and make 8 dollops of topping.
Then spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread (like you are icing a cake).
Bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden

COOK'S NOTES: We have been enjoying this recipe for 4 years. I have made a few changes. I have lowered the milk/cream that was originally called for, as the bread was sometimes coming out too moist for my taste.




Half and Half is a dairy product called for in the USA. You can substitute half cream and half milk for half and half. You can also use any combination of all cream to all milk as long as you are adding 2 cups total.




For the praline topping, the recipe used to include corn syrup. It really doesn't need it, so I have eliminated it.




This french toast casserole is amazing served with fresh berries instead of the praline topping if you are looking to lighten it up.




The left overs freeze VERY well! We eat about 1/4 of the pan. I freeze the left overs in 3 containers, so when we want a special breakfast I just thaw it and pop it in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. Perfect.