French Toast Casserole

I love breakfast foods. It really doesn’t matter what it is – I could eat breakfast at any time of the day. In fact, it’s not unusual to find us eating scrambled eggs or other breakfast favorites, like Easy Breakfast Potatoes or Breakfast Pizza and the like for dinner at least a few times a month if not once a week.

Topped with cinnamon and sugar, this fuss-free overnight French toast casserole is my favorite way to make the breakfast favorite. Since you assemble this baked French toast the previous night, you save time in the morning, and if you have an extra hungry crowd, it's easy to bake up a few batches

INGREDIENTS
For the casserole:

• Zest from one medium orange (optional)
• 5 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (45g) chopped pecans
• 1 large loaf good-quality French loaf, sourdough, ciabatta, or challah (enough to yield 10 cups of chunks of bread)
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

For the topping:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons (40g) dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt

Optional toppings for serving:

• Dried cranberries
• Powdered sugar
• Maple syrup

Instructions

1. First, Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Place an oven rack in the center position.
2. Then, Slice the bread into 1-inch slices and then cut them into 1-inch cubes. You can also tear the bread apart with your hands. Leave the crusts on.
3. And then, Layer the bread and pecans in a baking dish: Lightly grease a 2-quart (if you want thicker slices) or 3-quart baking dish (if you want thinner slices) with cooking spray or butter. Add enough bread cubes to cover the bottom. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of pecans on top. Continue layering the bread chunks and pecans.
4. Prepare and add the custard: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the milk, sugar, orange zest, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix well. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over all the bread chunks. (I found it easier to pour the mixture into a large measuring cup with a spout first before pouring the mixture over the bread.)
5. At this point, the casserole can be baked right away, or covered and refrigerated overnight.
6. French Toast Casserole French Toast Casserole
7. Drizzle with topping: In another bowl, mix the melted butter with the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Using a spoon, drizzle the mixture evenly over all the bread chunks.
8. Bake the casserole for 35 to 45 minutes. I baked mine for about 38 minutes. Leave the casserole in the oven longer if you want the chunks of bread on the top to be more brown and crunchier.
9. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle dried cranberries and dust powdered sugar on top, if you like. Serve with maple syrup at the table.

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