There are so many reasons to love this recipe. First of all, it only takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare it. It is a very frugal recipe and I have been able to use it to use up stale bread, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, etc. and eggs and milk that were about to expire. I love any recipe that combines things that go bad quickly, so I can use them up before they go stale. I also love this recipe, because it can be prepared the day before and refrigerated until the next morning. It is perfect for company or house guests, or even for home parties and brunches. You will be able to enjoy your company, while food is cooking rather than being locked in to the kitchen or having to prepare a bunch of stuff before everyone arrives. It is also a super cheap recipe, and usually all ingredients are on hand at our house.
Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
1/2 c. butter or margarine
12 slices of bread or 3 cups of cubed bread (I prefer white, but have made it with whole wheat – doesn’t taste the same)
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon or baking spice (or you can substitute with pumpkin spice blend which we do often)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4-1/2 c. syrup (depending on taste)
Pour melted margarine or butter into a 9×13 baking pan. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and your choice of spice. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and vanilla.
In the bottom of your 9×13 baking dish, layer with the first 6 pieces of bread. Sprinkle half of your brown sugar/spice mixture over the bread. Layer the second half of bread on top of this. See the bottom for instructions on using cubed bread. Pour the egg mixture over all of it, and then sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and spice mix. Take your half cup of syrup and drizzle it all over the top of the casserole.
USING CUBED BREAD: If you use cubed bread, I recommend putting in half, sprinkling with half the brown sugar/cinnamon mix and then put in the remaining cubes of bread. Pour the egg mixture over the entire thing and then use the rest of the brown sugar/spice mix on top. Syrup can be drizzled over in the same fashion as above.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. For the record, I have made this a couple of hours before wanting to serve it, and let it refrigerate for only 2-3 hours and that works fine too.
When you are ready to make it, cover with tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the tin foil and continue baking 15 more minutes. The casserole should be browned and set.
When you are ready to serve, you can sprinkle the top with nuts and/or powdered sugar. Serve with warm syrup and fresh fruit for a yummy breakfast.
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