If you want an easy crowd pleaser for a breakfast or brunch, overnight french toast is the way to go. It takes just a few minutes to put together the night before, and makes your kitchen smell amazing as it cooks the next morning. If you have never made or tried a french toast casserole before, it consists of cubes of bread left to soak in a rich and sweet custard mixture overnight, then baked up in the morning. It is far less hands work than traditional french toast so it is especially good for feeding a group. This version also includes strawberries and cream cheese, as well as a streusel topping to up the deliciousness factor. It is perfect for holidays, overnight guests, or for an extra special weekend breakfast.
It feeds a lot, so if you have a smaller crowd, I would recommend halving the recipe. You will need to use a smaller casserole or baking dish (such as a 7×11-inch or 9-inch square dish). Baking time will also be reduced, so start checking on it about at the 50 minute mark.
- For the french toast:
- 18-20 ounces stale french bread or sourdough baguette, cut into cubes
- 1¼ cup diced strawberries
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 10 eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- For the streusel topping:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
- Spray a deep casserole dish (at least 9x13in) with non-stick cooking spray. Add about ⅓ of the bread cubes to the casserole dish. Sprinkle with about ⅓ of the diced strawberries. Using a small spoon, drop spoonfuls of about ⅓ of the cream cheese over the top of the bread and strawberry mixture. Add another ⅓ of the bread, ⅓ of the strawberries, and ⅓ of the cream cheese. Add the final layer of bread, strawberries, and cream cheese.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over the top of the bread mixture from above. Cover, then place in the refrigerator overnight.
- The following morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium size bowl, make the streusel topping by whisking together the brown sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add butter cubes, and cut in using a fork or pastry cutter until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle streusel over the top of the french toast. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (covering with foil the last part of baking if getting too brown), until puffed up a bit and fully cooked through (will no longer look wet or jiggly in center). Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
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