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Baked French Toast Casserole with Praline Topping
This French toast casserole is wonderfully decadent, making it perfect for holidays or overnight guests!
There is perhaps no better occasion for an off-the-charts, blowout breakfast feast than Christmas morning. You’ve spent weeks decorating, making lists, buying gifts and wrapping. And in a flash, much like the letdown after waiting an hour in line to ride a 2-minute roller coaster, it’s over. The gifts have been opened and there is wrapping paper strewn about all over the floor. How fabulous to then meander into the kitchen and be able to sit down to a decadent, celebratory breakfast that took almost zero time in the morning? Ahh, the beauty of the make-ahead breakfast casserole. This one is truly extra-special!
This French toast casserole is the epitome of indulgent, and I absolutely love it. Embrace it – Christmas only comes once a year!
You can assemble the casserole the day before, and the next morning all you need to do is top it with the praline topping (which takes less than 10 minutes to make) and then pop it into the oven. If you get your timing right, you can get it into the oven and by the time you’re done opening presents, it will be ready and you can sit down to a beautiful, hot breakfast.
Do you have any Christmas breakfast traditions at your house?
One year ago: Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips
Two years ago: Italian Sesame Seed Cookies (Giuggliulena)
Five years ago: Date, Coconut & Walnut Truffles
Did you make this recipe?
This French toast casserole is wonderfully decadent, making it perfect for holidays or overnight guests!
- 1
loaf French bread
(13 to 16 ounces)
- 8
eggs
- 2
cups
half-and-half
- 1
cup
milk
- 2
tablespoons
granulated sugar
- 1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
- ¼
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- ¼
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
For the Praline Topping:
- 1
cup
unsalted butter
(at room temperature)
- 1
cup
light brown sugar
- 1
cup
chopped pecans
- 2
tablespoons
light corn syrup
- ½
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- ½
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
Pinch
of salt
Generously butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Slice the French bread into 20 one-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in the baking dish in two rows, overlapping the slices.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt with a whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour the mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the Praline Topping: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well, using a pastry blended or your fingertips.
Spread the praline topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 637kcal
Fat: 45g
Saturated fat: 21g
Cholesterol: 250mg
Sodium: 378mg
Potassium: 342mg
Carbohydrates: 69g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 37g
Protein: 15g
Vitamin A: 24.4%
Vitamin C: 0.8%
Calcium: 18.8%
Iron: 17.7%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on December 22, 2011.
I made this for Christmas breakfast and followed the recipe exactly. Unfortunately, it was so soggy and mushy at the bottom we couldn’t eat it. The topping was good and crunchy! But the bottom half was like a custard pudding consistency. We make French toast on the griddle usually and it is one favorites, so maybe it was not what we were expecting. I would say this is more like a bread pudding than French toast.
Great recipe! It’s the same as Paula Deen’s. Yum!
I tried this with challah and halved the recipe, but it did not turn out. I pretoasted the challah and all but it was soggy. It was also eggy at the bottom. Any suggestions?
Hi Sara, The bread could have been the issue… challah is a rich, eggy bread to begin with, quite different both taste and texture wise from French bread.
I halves this and it turned out soggy. Do you have an idea why? I used challah bread because I could not find French and pretoasted it before. Maybe I needed more bread? I followed all instructions but just halved it. The bottom was also eggy.
I was excited for this, but it didn’t turn out.
Who needs to wait for Christmas? I made this last weekend for a houseful of guests. There was none left!! It is the perfect dish for entertaining as it can be made the night before.
Hi! I decided to make this for my inlaws tomorrow but came across an issue with the French bread. A standard 16oz loaf, doesn’t cut into 20 one inch slices, I was able get about 14. Are you sure it’s not French baguettes instead of loaf?
Also, because there wasn’t 20 slices, it was difficult to layer and still fill the entire pan. Fingers crossed it turns out!!
Hi Anisa, Yes, positive it wasn’t a baguette; I think it should still be fine!
This recipe turned out so well! I was delicious! My husband said it was the best French Toast he had ever had! I put the topping on the night before and it baked up fine the next morning. (I wanted to streamline things for Christmas morning! ?) I love your site and your recipes! Thank you! Happy New Year!
We had your French Toast with Praline Topping for breakfast Christmas morning. Everyone loved it! Because it was Christmas, I substituted one cup of eggnog for one of the cups of milk. Thank you for a great recipe!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! (I love all your recipes and check your blog daily!) This particular recipe has become part of my husband and I’s Christmas tradition for the past 3 years. We have it every Christmas morning and plan to every year. Thanks for helping us start our own family traditions!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas this year!
Hi,
Looks amazing! I have a question though, does this toast bake up crispy and crunchy, or is it mushy? I don’t care for mush, but it looks awesome and like it might be firm in texture. Thanks! Merry Christmas 2015!
You are wanting snow and here in Texas we do not. At least not until Christmas is over. Joseph looks so cute with Santa.
My husbands best friend from Viet Nam lived near Pittsburgh. He had a new Cadillac and kept it in garage all winter. Lost him about 3 years ago.
My daughters boss is from Boston and has already gone home for the rest of the year.
A casserole–sure beats standing over a stove skillet in hand.
Absolutely no offense intended here, Michelle, but if you want snow for Christmas, then I’d like to suggest that you might like to take a trip to someplace snowy :) :) Not that I’m enjoying all of the rain here in the Pittsburgh area, mind you, but at least we don’t have to shovel it. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year, and thanks for all of the great recipes that you have given to us all this year, as well as all of the cute pictures of Joseph!!!