Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Cinco de Mayo may be tomorrow, but there’s another holiday right around the corner: Mother’s Day! Yes, that very important holiday where we celebrate the women in our lives. The women who took care of us from birth through those awful teenage years and yes, even into adulthood. I mean, let’s be honest, don’t you call your mother at least once a month? Or is that just me?
Anyway… as a mom myself, I love to be pampered. I love massages, facials, pedicures and manicures, but most of all, I love lounging in bed. And if I can have breakfast in bed even better. But when breakfast in bed isn’t possible (especially if you have little kids) you can still have a nice brunch at home in your pajamas. While eggs and bacon are great, I’ve always been a griddle fan. If I’m at a restaurant and pancakes or French toast are on the menu, that’s what I’m getting. I mean, there’s just nothing better than a stack of fluffy pancakes dripping with thick maple syrup or cinnamon swirl French toast smothered with powdered sugar and your favorite jam. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. While pancakes and French Toast are amazing breakfast choices, there’s one problem with them: they take awhile to make because you can only make a couple at a time. So, how can you enjoy French Toast without standing over a hot stove for hours? Make a casserole!
A French Toast casserole not only takes the work out of making French Toast it also serves several people at once. And it looks pretty. But the best thing about a French toast casserole is that it’s really like a bread pudding thanks to that deliciously sweet custard that the brioche soaks in. Made of eggs, vanilla and cinnamon, this custard makes the casserole. Well, that and the bread itself. You don’t want to use just any old sandwich bread. No, for something special like this, you want to use a nice, thick challah or brioche. Something that’s already indulgent before you start adding the eggs and sugar. I always use brioche or challah when I’m making French Toast. It not only makes the French Toast taste even better, it makes it special, and since this is for Mom on her special day, you want this breakfast to be extra special, right?
Now, you could stop there. I mean, eggs, custard and brioche are amazing all on their own, but if you want to go the extra mile and take this casserole to new heights, then you wan to add fruit. I added blueberries, but you could add whatever Mom’s (or your) favorite fruit is. This time of year, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or even blackberries would all be great choices. Then, as soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle it with a healthy amount of powdered sugar and serve it up with your favorite syrup or jam. Add extra fruit and a pitcher of mimosas and you’ve got a Mother’s Day meal fit for a queen.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, divided
- 1 loaf challah or brioche sliced about 1-inch thick
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9"×13" baking dish.
- Mix 1/2-cup brown sugar with melted butter until well combined. Coat bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Beat eggs, milk and vanilla together, set aside.
- Combine remaining brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl, set aside.
- Place bread in baking dish on top of butter/sugar mixture overlapping each slice slightly. Pour the egg mixture over bread. Top with the brown sugar/cinnamon. Press bread into egg wash to ensure slices are soaked.
- Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and take the dish out of the refrigerator to take the chill off.
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for a another 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and berries and serve.
