French Toast Breakfast Casserole

french toast casserole on a plate with syrup dripping onto it

5 from 12 votes

French Toast Breakfast Casserole

This easy make ahead French toast casserole recipe is great for entertaining and saves you from standing over a griddle or stovetop all morning.

Prep Time15

Bake Time1 30

Resting Time3

Total Time4 45

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

▢ 10 to 12 ounces (283-340g) stale bread¹ cut into large cubes (about 8-9 cups of bread)
▢ ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter melted
▢ ⅔ cup (132g) firmly packed brown sugar
▢ 8 large eggs
▢ 2 cups (480mL) milk any, but I prefer whole cow
▢ 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Spray a 2 quart casserole or 9" x 13" baking dish² with non-stick spray. Place the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish.
10 to 12 ounces (283-340g) stale bread1
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk again until everything is completely combined.
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (132g) firmly packed brown sugar, 8 large eggs, 2 cups (480mL) milk, 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
Pour the egg mixture over the bread, cover with a lid or foil, and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Bake the casserole for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the egg mixture looks set. Baked casserole freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat portions as needed. You can also freeze unbaked casserole unbaked, up to 3 months-- freeze after step 3, then thaw in refrigerator overnight before continuing with step 4.

Video

Notes

Stale bread: the reason for stale bread is because you want the bread to soak up all of the liquid ingredients. Stale bread has far less moisture in it, allowing for intake of the custard. I usually cut up my bread and let it sit out during the day or even overnight an extra night, if I have that much advance planning. I prefer to use challah, brioche, or other crusty bread.
Baking dish: you can easily halve this recipe and put it in a smaller casserole dish or 8" square baking pan. Bake time is 50-55 minutes.

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Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.