Sticky Bun Casserole with Whipped Cream and Bacon

By lorik

Makes 12 servings
Total time: 1 1/4 hours + chilling

Ingredients

• FOR THE BREAD, STALE:
• 8 slices French bread (1 1/2-inches thick)
• FOR THE CARAMEL, COMBINE:
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 16 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
• FOR THE CUSTARD, WHISK:
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream and diced
• cooked bacon (optional)

Details

Adapted from cuisineathome.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

For the bread, stale bread on a baking sheet, 10 minutes per side. Transfer bread to a cooling rack and shut off oven.

For the caramel, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan and heat over medium until butter melts. Increase heat to medium-high,
bring to a boil, and cook caramel until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Stir in pecans; pour into prepared dish.

For the custard, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip both sides of bread in custard and arrange on top of caramel.

Pour remaining custard over bread, cover dish with plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove casserole from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature, about 30 minutes; remove plastic wrap. Bake casserole until custard is set, and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°,
40–45 minutes. Let casserole rest 5 minutes, then invert, caramel side up, onto a serving platter.

Garnish servings with whipped cream and bacon.

Per serving: 629 cal; 32g total fat (14g sat); 145mg chol; 401mg sodium; 77g carb; 3g fiber; 12g protein