Hello friends!
Pull up a chair and put on your eating pants because tonight I’ve got, quite possibly, the most delicious recipe I’ve ever shared on the blog.
Yes, that is quite the statement, but let me put it this way: this dish brought down the house.
Allow me to introduce the beautiful, delicious and attention-grabbing OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE!
OK, wow.
I made this for a brunch that my boyfriend hosted with a few of our friends the other weekend, and believe me when I tell you – it was the hit of the meal.
I collected some quotes, that I’m using with permission, of course.
“11/10!”
“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!”
“It doesn’t even need syrup!”
That’s right – it doesn’t even need syrup.
Why? Not because it’s too sweet….but because it’s like CUSTARD.
Why?
BECAUSE YOU MAKE IT AHEAD THE NIGHT BEFORE!!
OK – here’s the scoop.
The night before your brunch or breakfast, you’re going to make the egg custard, just like like you would for french toast, and the then you soak the bread in the custard all night. So it becomes almost like a bread pudding/custard consistency. It is positively divine.
But the most important thing, is to use really good, CRUSTY bread. The older the better — that’s becuase then it really REALLY soaks up all of the custard goodness. (Think of an old sponge).
I went to this cute little Scandinavian bakery and got their “hearth bread” – it’s like wood fired bread. Oh my gosh, the most crusty.
So it made exquisite french toast.
No, this is not gluten free. Or vegan. And I’m not going to sit here and try and pretend it’s healthy either: it isn’t.
It’s a decadent treat for a special occasion.
But something tells me that you might start making up holidays just to have an excuse to make this dish. I won’t judge!
Here’s What You Need: (Serves 9-12 people)
Butter, for greasing the pan
1 loaf of crusty, preferably day-old French bread or sourdough
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk (DON’T USE SKIM, 2%….use whole!)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I told you it was good!)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 stick of cold butter, cut into pieces
Serving suggestions:
Good, grass-fed butter
Warm maple syrup
Fresh blueberries and strawberries
Whipped cream
Tools:
9×13 inch baking dish
Mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Cling wrap
Tin foil
Whisk
Directions:
THE NIGHT BEFORE:
Grease the baking dish with butter. Tear your loaf of crusty bread into chunks or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in your prepared baking dish.
In a large bowl, crack the eggs and whisk together with the milk, cream, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. With a spoon, make sure that every single corner of every bread chunk has been saturated in the egg mixture.
Cover the pan tightly with cling wrap and tin foil, and store in the fridge until brunch or breakfast the next morning.
For the Streusel:
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Stir together with a fork. Then, add the cold butter and, either with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, mix it all together until it resembles fine pebbles. (See below.) Store in a ziplock bag in the fridge.
THE NEXT MORNING:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture (which is what I did), or for one hour for a more firm, crisp texture.
TO SERVE:
Serve each portion with butter and berries, and an optional drizzle of maple syrup!
Oh my, my, my. When I tell you that this was a show-stopper, I mean it! I mean, taking this thing out of the oven, you’d think I was about to present the Heisman Trophy or something! You could hear a pin drop, people were so enraptured!
First of all, the tantalizing SMELL coming out of that oven was enough to have you drooling!
The browning butter and caramelizing sugar, the rich vanilla and spicy cinnamon — it was enough to bottle and sell as a candle!
And the textures were incredible. The streusel was this perfect shell of candied sugar and flour and cinnamon. But then the BREAD! There were little edges that were toasty and a little crispy, there were bits that were a little chewy, but then the center was gooey and rich like the most decadant bread pudding you’ve ever had in your life.
And I think the biggest testimony to that, was that we had warm, pure maple syrup from Maine available, and NO ONE USED IT! They all said it was absolute perfection without it!
People had seconds – and thirds. When the brunch was over the entire thing was completely demolished!
So, do yourself a favor and MAKE THIS DISH! I promise you, it will be the best thing you eat all year. I’m not kidding. You owe it to yourself!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Happy cooking!
“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5
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64 responses to “Overnight French Toast Casserole!”
That looks amaaazzzzzinnngggg!!! My mouth is watering already!
Thanks Vera! Oh my gosh it was!!! Glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox
Wow! That looks absolutely delicious 😋! Yum! I wonder if my wife could make that gluten free and dairy/egg free. I would love to eat that! 😊God bless!
Thank you so much Ryan! Oh my gosh this brought the house down! Hmm – I think it’s definitely possible! Perhaps with Chia seed pudding has the base and a gluten free bread! Hugs and love xox
Ryan, I’ve used coconut milk & cream and they work great as a dairy replacement! Caralyn is onto something with the chia idea…I’ll have to try that next time I make this for my vegan friends. If you don’t mind banana taste, 3 big bananas plus an extra half-cup of liquid makes a great egg replacement in this particular recipe. It does have a banana bread pudding taste though.
Thanks for the tips, Yael! God bless!
oooh i bet coconut milk would be AMAAAAAZING!!!
I looove the idea of coconut milk and bananas!!!
I’ll have to do it gluten-free tooo (or maybe cheat and suffer afterwards…)
Yummy.. I tried this recently! Super 🤤
Thank you so much! Oh awesome! Yeah it’s a real treat! Hugs and love xox
bread and butter pudding is your next trick i imagine, looks grrrreat….
Oooh I’ll have to try that next! Thanks friend! Hugs and love xox
[…] Overnight French Toast Casserole! — BeautyBeyondBones […]
Thank you for the link up! Hugs and love xox
French toast is one of my mother in laws favorite, so I will be making this soon. Not sure if you have tried it, but I make french toast from angel food cake…… Thankfully some stores have angel food cake shaped in a loaf like bread. Regular round cake works too. Thanks for this recipe BBB! Blessings.
Julia
Hi Julia! Oooh yes – if she loves French toast then she will flip for this!! OMGOSH ANGEL FOOD CAKE !?! Now THAT is a *diving* idea! 😉 hehe Hugs and love xox
You really could start a restaurant in New York City. I’m sure there are plenty of places available to rent. People would love that kind of stuff. I don’t know if now is the right time to start a restaurant but a little cafe would really be nice.
Oh my gosh you’re too kind! Thank you! That was a dream of mine once! Hugs and love xox
I literally have stale challah that I intended to make into overnight french toast this week! I like your take on it. 😊 I have an old church recipe and instead of adding cream to the egg wash I layer the bread with cream cheese that I’ve whipped a tablespoon of brown sugar or maple syrup into. Otherwise the recipes are identical. 🤩 It is definitely a favorite.
oh amazing, that’s perfect!! i hope you love it!!! Hugs and love xox
This dish is always a big hit whenever I make it and it’s so versatile, it can be sweet or savoury.
Thank you so much Sheree!! You’re right – anything warm, a little sweet with plenty of butter and over the top on delicious bread is bound to be a hit! Hugs and love xox
Thanks
🥰
Yummy
Thank you so much! Hugs and love xox
I have had French toast but not in a casarole😂
Oh Kenneth, you have GOT to try it in a casserole! it is divine! thanks for stopping by! praying for you an dthe UK! Hugs and love xox
Were told tonight on news it may be summer before we’re out of lockdown 😭
Oh my gosh no!!!!!
Oh yeah!
😭😭😭😭
wow this is making my mouth water, and it’s way past my bedtime, so i’ll have to live through this night’s torture before i can actually make this *sobs*. PS you’re such a gifted and gorgeous person!
Thank you so much!!!! hahah you’re too funny. well tomorrow it is then!!! 🙂 oh my gosh, thank you for such kind words!! Hugs and love xox
You always create mouth-watering dishes! Love them… Yum, yum! 😋😋
Thank you Andrew! That’s kind of you to say! Hugs and love xox
Looks great
thank you so much! Hugs and love xox
Omg looks so yummy 😊 Thanks for sharing this marvelous recipe with us 💛
thank you so much! it was wonderful! Hugs and love xox
Xoxo Love, Peace, Joy and Blessings to you my friend 🙏🏼💛
And to you!!
Your food presentations are first class 🙂
Aw thank you Ian!! Means a lot! Hugs and love xox
Le yum.
hahah thanks JB! Hugs and love xox
YOU are welcome BBB!!!
xoxo 🙂
xoxo 🙂xoxo 🙂xoxo 🙂
Yummy
thank you Jim! Hugs and love xox
=)
xoxo 🙂
=)
Yummy 😛
Thank you so much Swami! Hugs and love xox
❤💕❤
Yummy with each decadent taste!
hahha thank you so much! oh yes – this was definitely that! Hugs and love xox
Wow!!! In a word! I was salivating whilst reading 🤤😋🤤…I know, not a nice thought! 🤭
Thank you Marcia!!! hahah oh I hear you, I was drooling while writing this! hahaha Hugs and love xox
That looks so good.
thank you so much!! Hugs and love xox