Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole with Caramel-Hazelnut Topping

Name: Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole with Caramel-Hazelnut Topping
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 - 8 Servings
Ingredients: 1 (16-ounce) loaf French or Italian bread, sliced u00bd inch thick; 8 large eggs; 2 cups whole milk; 2 cups half-and-half; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; u00bd teaspoon cinnamon; u00bd teaspoon nutmeg; 12 tablespoons (1u00bd sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 1u2153 cups packed light brown sugar; 3 tablespoons corn syrup; 1u00bd cups hazelnuts or pecans, chopped

By Leslie Blythe Bread, Breakfast / Brunch, Casserole, Eggs Baking

June 26, 2023

While on the east coast, one of my best friends Jessica and her husband Marc just happened to be visiting her mom for the weekend, who lives not far from me, and invited me to brunch. She made this fantastic Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole with Caramel-Hazelnut Topping. It is a delicious and easy-to-make breakfast dish that can be prepared ahead of time. It is made with day-old bread, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. The bread is soaked in the egg mixture overnight, which makes it soft and custardy. The casserole is then baked until golden brown and topped with a caramel-hazelnut topping. You can use pecans or walnuts if you prefer.
This recipe is perfect for busy mornings or when you want to make a special breakfast for guests. It can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, simply remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, bake according to the instructions.

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 1 hr 5 mins
Yields: 6 - 8 Servings

Ingredients

Casserole

1 (16-ounce) loaf French or Italian bread, sliced ½ inch thick

8 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

2 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Topping

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1⅓ cups packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1½ cups hazelnuts or pecans, chopped

Directions

Casserole

1Adiust two oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325° F. Arrange the bread in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake until dry and lightly golden, about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Allow the bread to cool.

2Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or casserole dish of similar size) with butter. Laver the baked bread tightly in the prepared dish (you should have two layers). Whisk together the eggs, milk, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour evenly over the bread. Press lightly on the bread to sub-merge. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Topping

1When ready to bake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350° F. Mix the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until smooth, then stir in the pecans.

Assemble and bake

1Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and unwrap. Spoon the topping over the casserole, then spread it in an even layer. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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