French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Pecan Topping
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A Decadent French toast casserole made with Sara Lee® Artesano™ Potato Bakery Bread, milk, and topped with a Cinnamon Sugar Pecan Topping.
Christmas morning with kids is very magical and somewhat hectic! There’s lots of excitement and Joy, which I love! For the past few years, I’ve always made a breakfast that I can whip together quickly or prepare the night before.
My family loves this French toast casserole and best of all I can make it early in the morning or overnight and have time to enjoy it with them. It’s way easier than standing over a stove and flipping French toast.
While it’s been an unpredictable year, I’m thankful for the conveniences of technology and being able to grocery shop from the comfort of my home. I was able to order all the ingredients for the French Toast Casserole on Walmart.com, select my pickup time, and have my groceries loaded without having to leave my car.
I even got my parents, who aren’t very tech-savvy, to successfully create and pick up an online grocery order. It’s been a lifesaver, to say the least!
The only hard part is having to carry the groceries inside, which let’s be honest isn’t too bad 😉
What you need to make French Toast Casserole and substitutions.
Sara Lee® Artesano™ Potato Bakery Bread, Eggs, Almond Milk, Coconut Sugar, Cinnamon, Pecans, and Coconut Oil.
Bread- Sara Lee® Artesano™ Potato Bakery Bread has a rich flavor; thanks to potato, sea salt and a touch of butter, that compliments the sweetness of the French toast custard. Its thick slices are perfect for holding up during baking, and toasting the bread first gives the casserole more structure.
Milk- I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk for this recipe to keep it mostly dairy free. However, I have also made this recipe using whole milk which results in a richer custard base.
Sugar- I used coconut sugar, but regular white or brown sugar will work too.
Coconut Oil– I prefer to use refined coconut oil since you won’t have the taste and smell of coconut. However, butter or a neutral oil will work and it’s the same measurement.
Pecans- I used crush pecans for the topping, walnuts or sliced almonds would be good too. Or feel free to omit if you don’t like nuts.
How to Make French Toast Casserole using Potato Bread.
This recipe is for the whole loaf of Sara Lee® Artesano™ Potato Bakery Bread, if you need a smaller portion then halve the recipe.
Whether you are making this right away or ahead of time, you’ll want to toast the bread prior to adding the custard.
Slice the bread into cubes and place on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes or until the cubes get slightly toasted. I had to do this in 2 batches.
While the bread is toasting, prepare the custard by mixing eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil or butter. Place toasted bread cubes into dish and pour custard evenly over all the bread cubes.
If baking right away, I like to lightly toss some of the bread in the dish to make sure it all gets some custard. If making overnight, then cover with foil and place in fridge.
Bake the French Toast Casserole covered in foil for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove foil, top with the cinnamon pecan topping, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Overnight Method
When making the recipe overnight, keep in mind the texture will be similar to a bread pudding as opposed to having more structure as shown here when baked immediately.
It’s also important to remove the casserole from the fridge while the oven is preheating. You don’t want to bake a cold dish straight into a hot oven.
You can make the pecan topping while the casserole is baking and add it on the last 15 minutes of baking.
Serving and Storing the French Toast Casserole
Allow the casserole to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. My family enjoys eating it with a touch of maple syrup and slices of bacon.
Store leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat portions in the microwave or in the oven if you plan on serving the remainder.
I love that Sara Lee® Artesano™ Potato Bakery Bread has no artificial colors or flavors, so I can feel good about serving this to my family.
Check out these other delicious Breakfast Recipes:
French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Pecan Topping
Ingredients
French Toast Casserole
- 1 Loaf Sara Lee® Artesano™ Potato Bakery Bread Cut into cubes
- 6 Large Eggs
- 2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk or Regular Milk
- ¼ Cup Coconut Sugar or substitute white or brown sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Pecan topping
- ½ Cup Pecan Pieces
- ¼ Cup Coconut Sugar or substitute white or brown sugar
- ¼ Cup Coconut Oil or substitute butter
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- Optional: Maple Syrup for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread into cubes and place on a baking sheet in the oven for about 7 minutes or until the cubes get slightly toasted. I had to do this in 2 batches.
- In a large bowl add eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well and set custard aside.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil or butter. Or line the pan with parchment paper for easy serving and cleaning. Place toasted bread cubes into dish and pour custard evenly over all the bread cubes.
- If baking right away, I like to lightly toss some the bread in the dish to make sure it all gets coated with custard. If making overnight, then cover with foil and place in fridge.
- Bake the French Toast Casserole covered in foil for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. While dish is baking, mix the coconut oil or melted butter with sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
- After 30 minutes of baking, remove foil, sprinkle the pecan topping, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
