French Toast Casserole
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| Yield | 6 - 8 |
| Meal type | Breakfast |
| Misc | Pre-preparable |
| Source | www.cookscountry.com |
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecans, chopped fine
Casserole
- 1l loaf (16-ounce) supermarket French or Italian bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 8 Large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Toppipng
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Topping
- 1 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (9 1/3 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Directions
| For the Casserole | |
| 1. | |
| Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread out over 2 baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. Let the bread cool completely. | |
| Casserole | |
| 2. | |
| Coat a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with the butter and pack the dried bread into the dish. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined and then whisk in the milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and press on the bread lightly to submerge. | |
| For the Topping | |
| 3. | |
| Stir the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until smooth, then stir in the pecans. | |
| To Store | |
| 4. | |
| Transfer the topping to an airtight container and wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the topping and casserole separately for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. | |
| To Serve | |
| 5. | |
| Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the casserole and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top, breaking apart any large pieces with your fingers. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour. Serve immediately. | |
Note
Do not substitute low-fat or skim milk for the whole milk in this recipe. Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans. Be sure to use supermarket-style loaf bread with a thin crust and fluffy crumb; artisan loaves with a thick crust and chewy crumb don’t work well here. The casserole needs to sit in the refrigerator, well covered, for at least 8 hours in order to achieve the desired consistency, and it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.