Each chew of blueberry French toast casserole is filled with texture and tasteā¦ from the comfortable custard-soaked bread and juicy blueberries to the crisp brown sugar streusel on high. This make-ahead breakfast casserole advantages from an in a single day relaxation within the fridge, so all you want to do within the morning is pop it within the oven.
I initially revealed this recipe in 2015, and Iāve since up to date it to incorporate new photographs and additional success ideas. This blueberry French toast casserole has turn into certainly one of my most-loved make-ahead breakfast recipes for a motive.
In reality, this recipe is such a fan favourite, that it deserved a spot in print! Youāll additionally discover a model of this recipe in my cookbook, Sallyās Baking 101.
I all the time thought nothing may beat the scent of home made cinnamon rolls coming from the kitchen. Till I made a pan of this blueberry French toast casserole.
This make-ahead recipe is greatest made a day prematurely. Do all of your slicing, whisking, and mixing the day earlier than. Then high with a straightforward crumb streusel earlier than baking it the subsequent morning. Rather more interesting than standing over your griddle making particular person slices of French toast!
The result’s a breakfast casserole with layers of taste and texture: comfortable custardy bread, bursts of blueberries, and a crisp brown sugar streusel on high. The scent alone will deliver everybody into the kitchen.
Whether or not youāre planning Christmas breakfast, Easter brunch, Momās Day, or a weekend household breakfast, this in a single day French toast bake is all the time successful.
Why Youāll Love This Make-Forward Breakfast
- Make-ahead pleasant: Assemble the evening earlier than and bake within the morning
- Excellent for brunch: Feeds a crowd with minimal effort
- Nice texture: Smooth custard-soaked bread with crisp streusel topping
- Juicy bursts of berries: Recent or frozen blueberries work
- Simple to customise: Strive different berries or seasonal fruit
One reader, Carole, commented: āOne of the best French toast casserole I’ve ever madeāand Iāve made a number of! My household liked it. ā ā ā ā ā ā
One other reader, Michelle, commented: āI made this for Easter brunch. It was sooooo good! I wasnāt positive in regards to the blueberries at first, however it was scrumptious! Everybody liked it! It was the one dish everybody went again to for seconds. Positively suggest making this! ā ā ā ā ā ā
One other reader, Cieta, commented: āI’ve been making this recipe for 10 years now. Thanks! It’s all the time the most well-liked brunch merchandise, the most effective! ā ā ā ā ā ā
What’s the Finest Bread for Blueberry French Toast Casserole?
Bread is the muse of this recipe, so select one thing sturdy and flavorful. Nice choices embody:
- Challah
- Brioche
- Sourdough
- French bread
- Artisan bread
Bread to keep away from: Keep away from flimsy sliced sandwich bread as a result of it tends to collapse as soon as itās been soaked within the custard.
Success Tip
No matter kind of bread you select, ensure that itās barely stale and crusty. Slice it into cubes and let it sit for a couple of day earlier than utilizing.
Why?
Barely stale bread works greatest as a result of it absorbs the egg combination extra simply. If the bread cubes donāt soak up all of the custard, your casserole will find yourself with a dry high and a soggy backsideānot best! We suggest utilizing day-old bread for home made brioche French toast for a similar motive.
If you happen to forgot to let it sit out and your bread is recent, all is just not misplaced. Dice it and toast it briefly within the oven to dry it out.
Right hereās Every part Else You Want
After you’ve your barely stale cubes of bread, whisk collectively the custard.
- Blueberries: You should use both recent or frozen berries right here, no matterās handy!
- Eggs: You want 8 massive eggs.
- Milk & Heavy Cream: I take advantage of complete milk on this recipe, however you should use lower-fat or nondairy milk if crucial. Add a little bit of cream, too, as a result of it makes for a richer, creamier custard.
- Brown Sugar: With its greater molasses content material, brown sugar is your best option for sweetening this breakfast bread pudding.
- Lemon Zest: Just a little brightness that makes the blueberries pop.
- Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, & Salt: The flavour-enhancers no French toast casserole needs to be with out.
Brown Sugar Streusel Topping
The crumb topping is what actually takes this casserole from good to unbelievable.
Whereas itās a easy combination of simply 4 componentsābrown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butterāwhen baked, it creates a calmly crisp, buttery topping that contrasts fantastically with the comfortable custard-soaked bread.
Itās fast and simple, and just like how I make the crumb topping for espresso cake. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to chop chilly cubed butter into the dry components. You may chill this in a single day, too, then sprinkle it on the casserole simply earlier than baking.
What to Serve With Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Serve your blueberry French toast casserole with maple syrup, extra recent berries, home made blueberry sauce topping, or a beneficiant dusting of confectionersā sugar.
As a result of this dish is good and wealthy, it pairs properly with one thing savory. Excellent brunch pairings embody:
Right hereās a shortcut for creating āstaleā crusty bread for French toast casserole: Unfold the bread chunks on a lined baking sheet and toast in a 300Ā°F (149Ā°C) oven for 10 minutes. Your bread is now barely dried out and prepared to take in all that egg custard.
Sure. Rather than the blueberries, attempt strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Or attempt a medley of berries as I do for berries & cream French toast casserole. Within the fall, attempt it with cranberries or thinly sliced apples or pears.
Sure, you possibly can omit the berries & lemon zest for a basic/plain French toast casserole. If in case you have a replica of Sallyās Baking 101, see web page 206 (French Toast Casserole: 3 Methods) for a gingerbread variation excellent for the vacations!
You donāt want to organize the casserole prematurely, however I extremely suggest you do. It might want to relaxation for no less than 3 hours, however in a single day is greatest. This enables the bread to essentially absorb the custard. Each you and your blueberry French toast casserole can then get a great eveningās relaxationā¦ itāll see you within the morning!
Description
This unbelievable blueberry French toast casserole is made with comfortable custard-soaked bread, candy blueberries, and a buttery brown sugar streusel topping. The casserole advantages from sitting within the fridge in a single day earlier than baking, so this is a wonderful make-ahead breakfast recipe! This recipe can be in my cookbook, Sallyās Baking 101.
- Grease a 9Ć13-inch pan or any 3.5ā4-quart baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Unfold the cubed bread within the pan and sprinkle evenly with blueberries. Put aside.
- In a big bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt till mixed. Pour over the bread. Cowl the pan tightly and refrigerate for 3ā24 hours. In a single day is greatest.
- Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the chilly butter. Utilizing a pastry blender or two forks, lower the butter into the brown sugar combination till pea-sized crumbles kind. Cowl and refrigerate the topping for no less than quarter-hour or as much as 1 day. Chilling it helps be sure that it gainedāt sink into the casserole.
- Take away the casserole from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to fifteen minutes whilst you preheat the oven to 350Ā°F (177Ā°C).
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the casserole. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Cowl loosely with aluminum foil and proceed to bake till the middle seems set, 25 to 35 minutes extra.Ā
- Cool the casserole for five minutes earlier than serving. Retailer tightly lined within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Put together the topping prematurely, cowl tightly, and retailer within the fridge for as much as 1 day. Sprinkle over the soaked bread earlier than baking. For freezing, put together the recipe by means of step 4 (with out preheating the oven), and freeze for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then bake as directed. Baked casserole may be frozen for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge and heat up in a 350Ā°F (177Ā°C) oven for 35 minutes or till heat within the heart.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9Ć13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Half Batch: This recipe can simply be halved in an 8-inch baking pan or 9-inch baking pan. The bake time will likely be barely much less, round 30ā35 minutes.
- Bread: Day-old, crusty bread is ideal for French toast casseroles so it could actually absorb the egg custard. I sometimes use a loaf of challah bread that I slice and let sit out in a single day. If you happen to solely have recent bread, right hereās a shortcut for creating āstaleā crusty bread: Unfold the bread chunks on a baking sheet and toast in a 300Ā°F (149Ā°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Fruit: As a substitute of blueberries, attempt strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Within the fall, attempt cranberries or thinly sliced apples or pears. So many choices!
