From the Kitchen: Pioneer Woman French Toast Casserole

This post combines two of my favorites - the Pioneer Woman and brunch!  I've made this French toast casserole for brunch many times, including last weekend when we had our neighbors over.  It's great for groups because it's easy to make in large quantities, and even better because it can be prepped in advance and assembled and baked in the morning.  The streusel crumb topping is cinnamon-y and crunchy, the French toast is soft and thick....topped with syrup and served with fruit (and maybe a mimosa...), this recipe is everything I love about brunch.  Definitely a crowd pleaser!

French Toast Casserole

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Yield: 10-12 servings
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 loaf thick, chewy bread*
8 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed.

*French, ciabatta, or sourdough bread are good options.  You canNOT use normal sandwich bread for this - the texture won't be right.  When I have leftover French bread that is just going to go stale (or even if it's already stale - it doesn't matter), I'll tear it into bite-size chunks and put it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer to save for this recipe!  Or, if you spot a loaf of day-old French bread on Manager's Special at the grocery store, it's perfect for this!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13" Pyrex dish with cooking spray.  Tear the loaf of bread into bite-size chunks and spread evenly in the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour evenly over the bread, ensuring that all of the bread chunks are wet (press lightly with your hands to soak up the egg mixture if necessary).

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter until the butter crumbly - the size of peas.  Spread the topping over the top of the bread mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and serve with syrup or powdered sugar.

To prepare in advance:

Tear the bread into chunks and place in the greased Pyrex dish; cover.  Make the egg mixture and store in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  Make the crumb topping and store in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to make the casserole, simply pour the egg mixture over the bread, then top with the crumb topping, and pop it in the oven!

Click here to see my other Pioneer Woman recipes!