Whether you’re cooking for a crowd, or just looking for an easy and delicious breakfast, my Overnight Baked French Toast will set your day off right. Assembled the night before, just pop it in the oven and it’s ready in no time. Travels great, too!
French Toast is one of my all-time favorite breakfasts. I think we can all agree that it’s kind of putzy! Dipping bread in eggs then trying to get it into the hot pan without making a royal mess is not something I care to do before I’ve had my requisite pot of coffee. It seems like when I’m making it skillet method…one.by.one (or two by two…OMG, patience grasshopper!, the first slices are getting cold and I’m still a making a dribbling mess. Sure, I wrap my plate in foil or a clean kitchen towel to hold in the heat. But then the Toast gets limp and soggy…am I right?
Overnight & Easy Does It
Enter my Overnight Baked French Toast! Friends, I will tell you this stuff is to die for. Really…I mean, you’re going to want to curl right up in the baking dish and have at it…all by yourself. This is one of those dishes you can whip together at midnight, tuck it in the fridge, and then dream of the deliciousness all night. O.k…enough of the preaching.
The bottom layer has apples, raisins, nuts, brown sugar and butter. Next comes sliced bread – doesn’t really matter what kind but thicker slices work better. Finally, an egg mixture is poured on top. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Then, next morning you just bake it. When it comes out of the oven, just tuck right in. No hanging around the stove; no making a mess. And that, my friends, leaves plenty of time for coffee, newspaper reading, and playing with your kids.
This makes a great brunch or buffet addition, too. It’s easy to make for a crowd. Simple double, triple, quadruple the recipe and divide among a couple of baking dishes. Since it’s just the hubs and me, I cut the recipe in half for an 8″x8″ pan (I use a half a loaf of French bread, sliced 1″ thick; 3 eggs; half of the rest of the ingredients). If you’ve been tasked with bringing a dish to a friend or family’s home, this travels well, too. At least one of these super handy dandy travel buddies should be part of every kitchen, and is perfect for hauling Overnight Baked French Toast and keeping it hot.
Alright…Here’s how it goes…run, don’t walk, to your kitchen and get this whipped up. You’ll thank me for it tomorrow!
Overnight Baked French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 C light brown sugar
- 1/2 C melted butter
- 3 tsp cinnamon, separated 1 tsp for sugar mix; 2 tsp for egg mix
- 3 tart apples, peeled then sliced thin or diced Granny Smith works great!
- 1/2 C raisins or craisins can substitute any dried fruit or berry
- 1 loaf, French Bread sliced 1" thick
- 6 large eggs
- 1.5 C milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 C chopped nuts optional, but don't make the chop too small!
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe cup or dish, melt butter in microwave.
- Prepare 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray. Add melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Add apples, raisins and nuts(optional), and toss to coat all. Spread evenly over bottom of the pan.
- Arrange bread slices in pan in a single layer. It's o.k. to press them tightly together.
- In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and 2 tsp of cinnamon. Pour over bread, soaking it completely. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Baked, covered with foil, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
