Easy Baked French Toast Casserole

Prep and or Rising time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf DAY OLD French or other crusty bread (14-16 ounces)
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ¾ cup half and half
• ½ cup sugar (See Notes)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For topping

• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons cold butter

Instructions

1. Cut bread into cubes or tear into small pieces. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread in pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut butter into small pieces and place over flour mixture. With a fork blend butter into mixture until it resembles small crumbs ; sprinkle over bread in pan. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. To check, shake the casserole. If it wiggles a lot it's not done. Continue to bake until it cooked through completely.

Notes

Use crusty or 1 day or 2 old bread as listed in ingredients. A soft bread will result in a soft (soggy) casserole.
To crust up a fresh bread loaf: Let bread sit out for several hours or toast cubed bread in oven on a low temperature around 200 for approximately 10-15 minutes.
This recipe has turned out well with refrigerating for several hours or baking immediately.
Feel free to cut back on the sugar. I have made it successfully by cutting the sugar in half and no one seems to notice. Make to your preference.