Tag: make ahead

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Leave a comment

Last summer I had a project of asking family members to mail me their favorite recipes. I love the sentiment of a hand written recipe. I thought about getting family recipes together for my girls but realized I mostly knew about the recipes near and dear to my side of the family and not as much my husbands. It was fun to receive these recipes from all over the United States from young cousins to aging grandparents. I know I will treasure these as much as my daughters will down the road.

I haven’t tried them all yet but one of my favorite recipes from my husband’s side of the family came from an Aunt that lives close to the Washington D.C. area. We have made it many times already! Baked French Toast Casserole!

I’ll be honest most mornings I am a little slow going so this fits my lifestyle a lot better than making the individual French Toasts. I can have it ready to go the night before than just pop it in the oven first thing in the morning (or let’s be honest have my husband bake it since he takes the early early morning shift with the kids!). With the fall season upon us now I succumbed to the cinnamon apple craze and I admit it took this breakfast treat to a whole new level!

Print Recipe

Baked Apple French Toast Casserole

An easy make ahead breakfast casserole made from buttery brioche bread and topped with warm sweet apples.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soaking1 hour
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: The Food Practitioner

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf Brioche Bread cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 7 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp vanilla

Topping

  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp butter cut into small cubes
  • 2 apples peeled, cored, and diced

Instructions

  • Place brioche cubes in a warm oven for 8-10 minutes to dry out and become slightly crispy.
  • Whisk together eggs, milk, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl.
  • Add the warm bread cubes in and toss to coat.
  • Place the bread mixture in a greased 9 x 11 inch pan.
  • Allow the mixture to sit for at least an hour or overnight.
  • Right before baking add the butter, diced apples, and cinnamon and sugar mixture on top.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until a knife is inserted in the center and comes out clean.
  • Serve warm with syrup!

Notes

To me the easiest thing is to prepare this the night before and store in the refrigerator so you don’t have to wait on the soaking time first thing in the morning. 
I wait to peel, core, and dice apples until right before I am ready to bake to prevent them from turning brown. 
You can also let the brioche set out overnight to become a little hardened and skip baking it 8-10 minutes in the oven.  
This casserole is so versatile and has many different variations. The original is so good “plain” without the apples. You can substitute chocolate chips, different dry fruits like raisins, or after baking top with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, powdered sugar, or whipped cream.