I am probably the most UN-MORNING person in the entire world. Seriously. I am pretty much a Zombie until 9, at the earliest. But on the rare occasion that I do fix breakfast for my family (that doesn’t include a bowl of cereal, yogurt, or an Eggo waffle), I want it to be something I can prepare the night before and throw in the oven in the morning (have I told you I’m not a morning person?). This French Toast Casserole is the perfect EXTRA SPECIAL breakfast!
You can print the recipe here. It is adapted slightly from Frugal Upstate.
1. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and pour it in the bottom of the 9×13 casserole dish. 
2. Lay 6 pieces of white bread on top of the melted butter. 
3. Mix 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. 
4. Pour half of the brown sugar mixture on top of the first layer of bread. 
5. Add the second layer of six pieces of bread over the top of the brown sugar mixture. 
6. In a separate bowl, mix 5 beaten eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 cups of milk. 
7. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole. 
8. Top with the remaining brown sugar mixture. 
9. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
10. The next morning, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. 
We served with a side of fruit: Yummy!!! 
YUM! I’ve been wanting a French Toast Casserole and was planning on making one up, but I’ll just use yours! I cook and serve breakfast every morning (home daycare) and have been needing something different and new to serve.
Looks delicious! I haven’t made this in a LONG time, so thank you for posting the recipe and reminding me! We love overnight breakfast casserole which basically involves mixing together cubes of bread, eggs, chopped ham and shredded cheese, leaving it overnight and then baking in the morning!
Yum… now i have to find a way to do this egg free…. Our favorite super easy and healthy is our “breakfast cookies –> http://www.lovingmynest.com/learning-activities/breakfast-cookies/ it’s sort of like baked oatmeal but with no added sugar, and they look like cookies so kids will willingly eat them.
I love these pancakes – make in the morning or the night before and pop in the toaster! http://lorihokie.blogspot.com/2012/08/cooking-show-pancakes.html
Jessica, my husband can not do eggs as well so when I have done French toast for him in the past I used almond vanilla milk to replace the mild, add vanilla, and I replace the eggs with ground flaxseed meal. 1 tbls of flaxseed with 3 tbls of water = 1 egg. It turns out great, I hope if you try it goes over well. :) good luck.
As a total night person, aka she who loathes early mornings, this is fabulous! Totally trying this out. Who doesn’t love French toast? Yummy!!
This looks delicious!!!
But… have you ever tried baking it with the fruit already inside…?
Because that’s my new plan for this weekend!
I have to say, I was really excited to make this. So I did. I’ll be honest: I didn’t like it, just because the bread turned out soggy and mushy. However, my husband liked it, and so did my son. I wonder what I could do differently to make it less soggy? Perhaps less butter? Because it was the bottom layer of bread that was like that, but the top layer was perfect. Any ideas?
I would say you might want to bake it longer, maybe 10-15 minutes?
I guess it depends on your taste–I tend to think that traditional french toast is way too dry, so I really like the consistency of this casserole (it is almost like a bread pudding).
Katrina ,
Did you use white bread??? Try a hardier bread and even let it air dry .. and thicker slices..It will hold up better!!!
This was so easy and delicious. The top was crunchy and yes the inside was gooey and custardy which is what real French toast is supposed to be like. The cooked all the way through stuff is not the intent. That is why a lot of true French toast recipes specify to soak the bread 30 seconds per side before griddling. This allows the custard to absorb and leave the interior like an egg custard. This casserole did it perfectly with no effort. And no syrup or butter needed. I don’t know that I will every make French toast the regular way again. I might add some nuts and even try a more streusel topping in the future.
So glad you liked it! Thanks!
This recipe looks SO YUMMY that I’d love to try it today? Is the overnight refrigeration a key factor or can I shorten the length of time?
Did you try it? I was too tired last night. Here’s hoping it works this morning.
My son starts Kindergarten on Tuesday and I was trying to find something special to make him for breakfast that wouldn’t require me to be up too much earlier than I already have to (I’m a night owl). This is absolutely perfect!!!! Thank you so much :)
I bet this would be really good with day old french bread or challah. It would help with the sogginess if you don’t like it and a little more “fancy” than just with plain bread. :)
I made this for Christmas morning and everyone loved it! It was delicious!!!
So glad you liked it!!! :)
I forgot to mention I used the egg bread from Publix ;)
There’s just two of us Sr. Citizens and one is diabetic..has anyone tried this recipe using Spenda brown sugar in place of regular brown sugar? How can I cut this back for just the two of us? We would eat 2 slices each. How many eggs would I use? DH loves french toast.
I always feel like it is a bad idea to go from refrigerator to oven with glass pans. I don’t want to turn my oven into a bomb. You have never had any problems with this?
No, we have made the casserole probably 20-25 times and have never had an issue. I do normally leave it on the counter while the oven is preheating. If it would help put your mind at ease, leave it on the counter for an extra 20 minutes or so.
It’s super frustrating that you don’t start with a list of ingredients like EVERY OTHER RECIPE EVER!
Please add it.
So sorry to disappoint you. You can click on and print the downloadable recipe (towards the top of the post) to see a full list of ingredients. And please be nice. Thanks. :)
If you don’t’ have time to soak overnight, will it work to soak a couple of hours in morning.
Good to know! I am the world’s worst morning person, so I try to do everything I can the night before! :) Thanks!!!
I love this recipe, and it’s a huge hut with my family. I’ve added raisins and the one I’m make for tomorrow I’m using blueberries. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Awesome, thanks Kimberly! I might have to try it with blueberries!
I too am not a morning person. My husband always wants Sunday Breakfast. This is a must! because french toast is my favorite for breakfast.
Have you tried it with evaporated milk? That’s what I usually use when I make French Toast.
I made this recipe exactly what it said and it turned out doughy. I probably won’t make it again. I was very disappointed on how it turned out. I think it has to be baked a lot longer than what the recipe says.
Have been making a recipe almost identical to this one. The friend who gave it to me several years ago had cinnamon-raisin bread in it. That is what I have been using all along. It is delicious!
Yummy. I going to make for my grandchildren