This is THE perfect breakfast for summer. While I know that during the winter we are neck deep in heavy breakfast dishes and you might be thinking this is too heavy for summer, trust me when I say that my Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is still perfect for hot weather because you a) prep it the night before and b) use your oven first thing in the morning to bake it, before the real summer heat hits you.
It’s perfect for a lazy Saturday or Sunday breakfast. I adore meals that you prep ahead of time and simply pop into the oven.
I’ve also added a seriously decadent cinnamon crunch topping that makes this just a teensy bit better than most french toast casseroles. There’s nothing like a streusel to add some cinnamon crunch to dish.
The best part is that the longer this sits, the more the egg/milk mixtures soaks into the French bread and unless that happens, you’re not going to get a result that looks like this. It absolutely must sit overnight in the fridge in order to come out correctly.
You also must dry the bread out, it’s important, otherwise you are going to end up with soggy breakfast the next day. I know it sounds a little more complicated, but it really isn’t. Just let the bread air dry after you slice it or better yet, start with some stale bread.
So do yourself a favour and don’t wait until the cooler weather to make this. Make it this weekend, prep it, forget it and bake it the next morning. I actually just made myself hungry writing up this post for you guys. There’s just something about that crunchy topping that screams “dessert for breakfast!” Which of course, is my very favorite thing!
Happy baking!
Love you more than chocolate,
Karlynn
Overnight Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 454 grams loaf of crusty French Bread
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups half and half or 1 cup cream 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg optional but this gives it a "doughnuty" taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Crunchy Streusel Topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- Butter a 9×13 baking pan. Slice the bread into 1 inch slices (I usually get around 12 slices) Lay the slices, slightly overlapping each other, in the pan. LET AIR DRY IF YOU CAN for a few hours!
- When the bread has dried out a lot, (this is important, you will have a soggy casserole if you don’t follow this) whisk together the eggs,milk/cream,vanilla,spices and salt. Pour over the bread evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the dry streusel toppings, then cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the bread.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, OR until the middle is cooked. If it’s browning too much, cover with tinfoil and continue cooking. Baking time WILL DEPEND ON HOW THICK you make the casserole!
Nutrition
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James Lori Shipley says
Adding fresh sliced peaches or blueberries makes this dish even better we love adding fruit!