Easy French Toast Casserole Recipe

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This Easy French Toast Casserole is a hybrid of the classic breakfast recipe of French toast and Southern bread pudding. The two marry together in one delicious breakfast treat perfect for enjoying on the weekends or serving to company.

This simple French Toast Casserole recipe is easy to make and no special skills or equipment are needed. It’s comfort food with a great French toast flavor in one simple casserole.

Ingredients

For this delicious breakfast recipe, you need the following:

• King’s Hawaiian Rolls (dinner rolls or sub rolls work best)
• Pecans
• Eggs
• Half and half
• Real maple syrup
• Vanilla
• Ground cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking pan or casserole dish

How To Make French Toast Casserole

To make it, begin by cutting the Hawaiian bread into 1-inch cubes. If they aren’t exactly 1-inch, don’t sweat it.

Place the cut cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help to prevent the French toast from becoming too soggy. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.

Next, toast the pecans. There are three ways that you can toast them: 1) in the microwave, 2) in the oven, and 3) in a skillet. Whichever method you choose, keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn. Once they have toasted, set them aside.

Once cool, place the cut bread into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or softened butter. Sprinkle the bread with chopped pecans.

In a large bowl or blender, whisk or blend the eggs, half-and-half, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Tip:  If whisking in a bowl, start off by using only about 1/3 of the half-and-half. After the ingredients are well combined, whisk in the remaining half-and-half. 

Pour the custard mixture over the bread and pecans being careful to make sure that the tops of all the pieces are coated with the mixture.

To make things easy on yourself, use a measuring cup to scoop out the custard and pour over the bread cubes.

Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This allows the bread time to soak up all of that custard goodness. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Baking Time

When the time is up, bake the baking dish in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes. You will want to bake it until the top starts to become golden brown. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, or whipped cream. Whatever toppings you enjoy with French toast, you will enjoy with this casserole. You could even serve this for dessert with scoops of vanilla ice cream!

I chose to create this recipe to be baked the same day rather than as an Overnight French Toast Casserole because 1) I don’t always have enough storage space in my refrigerator and 2) You have to let refrigerated items sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before baking anyway.

Recipe Notes

Don’t have Hawaiian bread? This recipe works with other stale bread like an old crusty loaf of French bread, challah bread, or brioche bread. Pretty much any plain, crusty bread will work, but dense bread works best. 

Can you freeze a French toast casserole?

Yes. Simply prepare and bake the casserole as directed. Let the casserole cool to room temperature then place it in a freezer-safe container and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1 – 2 months.

To reheat the casserole, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight then place it in an oven-safe container, wrap with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit or until warmed through.

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Hungry for more breakfast ideas? Check out these other tasty recipes:

• Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
• Homemade Banana Nut Muffins
• Blueberry Breakfast Bake
• Quick Cinnamon Roll Muffins

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Don’t Forget To Come Back And Let Me Know How Your French Toast Casserole Turned Out!