Overnight French Toast Casserole

Many years ago a friend of mine brought a french toast casserole to a potluck and I remember loving it. Time passed and I completely forgot about this delicious breakfast food until my sister reminded me of them. This recipe is pretty simple and makes for a great, ready to bake breakfast food. I love having this plain, but feel free to add some maple syrup on top.

Recipe inspired by Smitten Kitchen and Cakes Cottage

1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
1 loaf of challah bread (I ended up only being able to fit 3/4 of the loaf) cut  in to 1-inch slices
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Great a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl mix together the melted butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until well incorporated (this may take a couple of minutes). Pour the butter mixture into the baking dish and spread as evenly as possible.

Arrange the bread in one tight layer in your baking dish. You may need to create some smaller pieces to fill in the gaps. In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and the cinnamon, In another bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla and set aside. Pour half of the egg mixture over the first layer of challah. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon mixture. Arrange another tightly packed layer of challah over this. Pour the remaining egg mixture over this and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and store in your fridge overnight,

Preheat your over to 350F/175C. With the foil still on your baking dish, bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. The casserole will be golden on the outside and soft on the inside. If desired serve with maple syrup, honey or powdered sugar. Pin It Now!