French Toast Casserole using Texas Toast
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This French toast casserole using Texas toast is perfect for a weekend morning or special occasion. This scrumptious French toast bake combines the comforting flavors of traditional French toast with the ease of a casserole dish, making it a great way to serve a delicious breakfast to your family or guests.
Whether you’re prepping for Christmas morning or just looking for a fuss-free breakfast casserole, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comforting and Delicious: The combination of cinnamon, vanilla extract, and layers of bread creates a warm, comforting dish that everyone will love.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether it’s Christmas brunch or a regular weekend morning, this casserole is a crowd-pleaser.
- Easy to Prepare: With minimal prep time and simple ingredients like Texas toast bread, eggs, and milk, it’s a breeze to put together.
- Great Make-Ahead Option: Prepare it the night before, cover it with plastic wrap, and bake it the next day for an easy overnight French toast casserole.
- Versatile: Customize with your favorite toppings or mix-ins like fresh fruit, cream cheese, or even a sprinkling of brown sugar for added flavor.
I also like to make this casserole when we have an occasional brunch. It can be made ahead and warmed up when you are ready.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these other fun breakfast casseroles
- Bacon Hash Browns – One of our best-loved recipes and a fan favorite for years.
- Bacon Breakfast Casserole – This casserole has bacon and eggs and cheese and is easily made ahead.
- Chili Relleno Casserole with Ground Beef – A delicious southwestern casserole that works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- This recipe just takes a few ingredients you likely have on hand. The most important to consider is the bread.
Ingredients for baked french toast casserole
- Texas Toast
- Melted butter
- Milk
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Walnuts, chopped
Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or heavy cream
- Vanilla
How to make easy french toast casserole
Preheat oven to 325.
Chop stale bread into cubes.
Beat eggs, melted butter, vanilla, cream, and milk with a whisk.
Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and whisk.
Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and whisk.
Pour the mixture over the bread inside the baking dish.
Create 2-3 slits in the foil to vent.
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Bake covered for 45 minutes. Bake uncovered for an additional 45 minutes.
Bread pudding is done when the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.
Let sit for 10 minutes and work on the glaze. Add glaze to top, serve, and enjoy.
Should be stored in a fridge covered or in an airtight container.
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Tips for the Best Results
- Use Stale Bread: Day-old bread or stale bread works best as it soaks up the egg mixture without becoming too soggy. Texas toast, white bread, or even Italian bread are all excellent choices.
- Press Down the Bread: After pouring the egg mixture over the bread cubes, press them down with a spatula to ensure they’re fully soaked.
- Bake in Two Stages: First, bake the casserole covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes to let it cook through. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes until it turns golden brown and the center is set.
- Make the Glaze Right Before Serving: Mix the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl just before serving, so it’s fresh and smooth.
- Pre-cut the Bread: Cut the bread into cubes ahead of time. This not only saves time when preparing but will also help the bread dry out ahead of time.
Substitutions and Variations
- Bread Options: While Texas toast is a classic choice, you can also use French bread, sourdough bread, or even whole-grain bread for a different texture and flavor.
- Milk Alternatives: Substitute the whole milk and heavy cream with almond milk or oat milk for a dairy-free version.
- Nut-Free Version: If you prefer, you can skip the walnuts or replace them with pecans or another topping of your choice.
- Flavor Variations: For a citrus twist, add a bit of orange juice to the egg mixture, or try a sprinkle of light brown sugar on top for extra sweetness.
More Brunch Ideas
- Easy Egg Salad – A fan favorite saved over 6,000 times.
- Chili Relleno Casserole – A delicious green chili casserole with ground beef.
- Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs – How to make perfect hard-boiled eggs.
- Chorizo and Egg Burritos – Delicious breakfast burritos that you can make ahead.
- Easy Bacon Quiche Recipe – A lovely breakfast or brunch idea.
- Best Avocado Toast – A delicious avocado toast topped with bacon and tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prepare this casserole the evening before you plan to serve it, then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. It is better if you refrigerate it before glazing and just add glaze the next day. You can prepare the glaze ahead of time and store in the refrigerator as well.
Texas toast bread is the best bread for this recipe due to its thickness and ability to soak up the egg mixture. However, you can also use day-old bread like French bread, sourdough bread, or even soft bread like white bread.
Store any leftover casserole in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
Yes, you can freeze the unbaked casserole. Cover it tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Serve this delicious breakfast recipe with pure maple syrup, fresh fruit, or a side of orange juice for a complete meal. It’s also great with a sprinkling of brown sugar or a drizzle of real maple syrup on top.
More great breakfast recipes
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French Toast Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 10-12 pieces of Texas Toast
- 2 tsp melted butter
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 325
Chop stale bread into cubes
Beat eggs, melted butter, vanilla, cream and milk with a whisk
Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and whisk.
Pour mixture over the bread inside the baking dish.
Press the bread down as much as you can to fully soak it then cover with foil.
Create 2-3 slits in the foil to vent.
Bake covered for 45 mins.
Bake uncovered for an additional 45 mins.
Bread pudding is done when the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.
Let sit for 10 mins and work on the glaze.
Add glaze to top, serve and enjoy.
Should be stored in a fridge covered or in an airtight container.
We did the same – first Christmas with just immediate family. Baby’s first Christmas was a memorable one for so many reasons. Having him. The pandemic. And having our first Christmas at home. It was super magical. I want to find a way to maybe have my parents and siblings one day come up here for a Christmas where we can all be together and be here.
And we’ll make this deliciousness!!