Prepare a delicious, low-effort breakfast for a crowd with a French toast casserole. It's custardy inside, crisp along the edges, and sweet with hints of cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla. You can even prepare it the night before to bake in the morning!
Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC and butter a 13x9-inch baking pan (using separate butter or a small amount of the melted butter from the next step), then set it aside.
Melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar, and pour it into the baking pan, ensuring it’s evenly spread. This creates a delicious caramel-like base.Keep a tablespoon of the sugar on one side to use later on.
Cut and layer the bread
Leaving the crusts on, use a serrated knife to cut the bread into 1-inch cubes (or tear it apart by hand – though the pieces will be uneven).
Spread the bread cubes over the butter-sugar mixture.
Prepare the egg mixture
Zest the lemon. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed.Be careful to whisk it into a smooth mixture, ensuring there are no noticeable bits of egg white.
Pour the egg custard mixture over the bread evenly, ensuring the pieces are well-saturated. Sprinkle over the reserved sugar.
Bake the casserole
Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle is fully cooked.If required, broil the casserole for a few minutes at the end to brown the top more.
Finally, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for just a few minutes before slicing/spooning into bowls, optionally sprinkling with powdered sugar, and enjoying!
Video
Notes
Mix the egg thoroughly: So there aren't any obvious bits of egg white left in the mixture to make it taste more "eggy."
For a super custardy casserole: Replace some (or all) of the egg whites with more egg yolks.
Immediate vs. overnight French toast casserole: The first works best with softer bread like brioche/Challah, as Sourdough and French baguette require longer to soak up the egg custard (thus, it can turn out a little dry/hard if baked immediately).
Optional add-ins:
Fruit: I particularly like sprinkling in a handful of blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, or thinly sliced apples - tossing them with the bread.
Dried fruit: Sprinkle in raisins, sultanas, cranberries, dates, etc.
Chocolate: Chocolate chips or chunks make a more dessert-like treat.
More cinnamon: For a more pronounced cinnamon flavor, mix some into the butter-sugar caramel and/or sprinkle more over the top.
Alcohol: Add a splash (a few Tbsps) of Amaretto or Grand Marnier to the custard.
Check the blog post for answers to top FAQs and storage instructions!