French Toast Casserole Recipe
Email
OK, French toast really isn’t that hard to make. But when you’re doing it for a crowd or a special occasion, it can get tedious. Enter this casserole: Just layer the bread, dump the custard base over it, and bake. This version is loaded with pecans, raisins, orange zest, cinnamon, and maple syrup, so you don’t even have to garnish it.
Game plan: This recipe can be made up to 1 day ahead through step 2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.
This recipe was featured as part of our Valentine’s Day Breakfast in Bed menu.
INGREDIENTS
- 7 day-old slices French bread (3/4 inch thick, 2 by 3 1/2 inches long)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins, also known as sultanas
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lightly packed, finely grated orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted, plus more for coating the pan
- 3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter. Shingle the bread slices (i.e., overlap them slightly) in the pan and sprinkle the raisins on top.
- Whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, zest, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Pour the mixture over the bread and let soak for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the maple syrup and melted butter in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in the pecans and spoon the mixture evenly over the casserole. Place in the oven and bake until the custard is set and puffed and the bread is browned, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Wow... this looks ridiculous. I am also liking the sausage idea. Sinful but amazing!
http://unhipsquirrel.blogspot.com/
mtomto, this was originally part of a Valentine's Breakfast in Bed for 2 feature http://www.chow.com/food-news/54887/v..., hence the 2 servings. However, I doubled this recipe using an 9x9-inch ceramic baking dish for a brunch I hosted, and it worked perfectly!
Amy Wisniewski, CHOW test kitchen
Probably a fine recipe, but for 2 to 3 servings? Why would you bother, or at least double it.
I'm going to try deleting the raisins and cinnamon and adding a layer of cooked bulk sausage to give it a little kick. I'd also like to try this once without the syrup and adding the maple sausage. Lots of ways to play with this recipe!
I was just thinking, maybe youcould even substitute chocolate chips in place of the raisins. Might take on a new twist to the standard french toast casserole. I just may try that with or without the banana....
I wonder if you could put sliced banana in place of the raisins? I dont love raisins in baking and since someone mentioned apple or pear can be used, why not bananas? Any thoughts out there?
Delicious and easy, especially if you prep everything but the sauce the night before. I cut the maple syrup, butter, and nuts in half and the end result was still sweet and rich enough. I think 1/2 cup syrup would be cloying, but tastes differ wildly when it comes to sweet.
This was utterly fantastic as a breakfast item. So good in fact that we're recycling it as a dessert for a party tonight -- add a dusting of chocolate, and some bourbon whipped cream.... Voila!
Brilliant!
This reminds me of old days at the Bistro restaurant in Warrenton, VA when as a prep chef I had to make -with so much pleasure- trays of this easy and delicious pudding. What puts people off is the ..."X days old bread". The bread must be old, thus dry, so that it can absorb the yummy custard mixture and bake it in. Your version is very good. It is not a soggy mass that the English classic usually is as it calls for white sliced bread with crusts removed. Blah! A cubed apple or pear can be a substitute for raisins, just in case you are out of raisins.
Thanks for a lovely reminder!