Recommended By Anna Hubbel (Editor, Webster Online)
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I was tasked with cooking for Christmas Day 2020 in my family, and let me tell ya: that’s a whole lotta of pressure when you have a big family. (Eight siblings, y’all…)
Instead of Christmas dinner, we decided to do a Christmas brunch. I had a pretty nice spread, if I do say so myself. (Or at least the mimosas made me think so…)
One of the dishes I made came from Pinterest. It’s called “Deliciously Easy French Toast Casserole.” (Shoutout to adventuresofmel.com.)
I’m pleased to say that the dish was a huge hit!
If you’re looking for Sunday brunch ideas (or really, whenever you have a breakfast-food craving), I strongly encourage you to give this recipe a try!
Ingredients
Casserole:
20 ounces sandwich bread*, cubed
1 cup pecans, chopped
8 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup maple syrup*
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
4 tablespoons salted butter, sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
Grease a 9"x13" baking dish.
Cube the bread into small 1-inch cubes, and layer with the pecans in your baking dish.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, real maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread and pecans in the baking dish.
Cover and chill for a good 4 to 6 hours or overnight.*
When you're ready to bake the casserole, remove it from the fridge, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Meanwhile, using a pastry blender, mix the sliced butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl.
Crumble or clump the topping over the entire casserole.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake it for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Once it's thoroughly cooked through, remove it from the oven and let it cool for just a few minutes.
Then slice and serve with powdered sugar and maple syrup.