Everything you love about French Toast in an easy to serve breakfast casserole.
I am bringing you a favorite breakfast dish of mine, French Toast Casserole, that I top with sautéed apples. There’s no need to dip and fry this French toast, simply put it together in your baking dish, bake, and serve when ready!
How to Make French Toast Casserole
To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut or tear some crusty bread into about 1 inch pieces. Place them in a 9 inch square (or equivalent) baking dish that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. This is also a great way to salvage that almost stale bread – no waste!
In a bowl, combine 3/4 c milk, 1/2 cup half & half, 1/3 cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
To that, add 4 eggs.
Whisk it all together until well combined and a little frothy.
Pour the egg mixture all over the top of the bread.
Gently press the bread into the egg mixture to make sure it soaks in well. A spatula does the trick perfectly. Set that aside for now.
In a bowl, combine 1/4 c flour, 1/4 c brown sugar, a pinch of salt, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Stir them together.
Add in 1/4 cup cold butter that has been sliced up. Cut this in with a pastry blender until crumbly.
Like this!
Next, finely chop a handful of pecans and add them to your topping mixture.
Sprinkle this all over the top of the bread. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until it is the firmness that you desire.
Meanwhile, let’s sauté some apples! Core and slice a Granny Smith apple or 2.
In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Toss in your apple slices and sauté these for 8-10 minutes, stirring often until the apples are tender.
Add in 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and a half teaspoon of cinnamon and give them a stir.
After a minute or so, the sugar has dissolved and you have these beautiful apples for your French toast!
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for a couple minutes before serving.
Serve this with or without a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!
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French Toast Casserole with Sautéed Apples
Ingredients
For Casserole
- 3-4 c of crusty day-old bread, cut or torn into 1 inch pieces
- 3/4 c milk
- 1/2 c half & half
- 1/3 c sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs
For topping
- 1/4 c flour
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 c cold butter, cut into slices
- 1/3 c pecans, finely chopped
For the Sautéed Apples
- 1 or 2 Granny Smith apples
- 2 Tb butter
- 3 Tb brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional
- Maple syrup for drizzling
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut or tear some crusty bread into about 1 inch pieces.
- Place them in a 9 inch square (or equivalent) baking dish that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. This is also a great way to salvage that almost stale bread – no waste!
- In a bowl, combine the milk, half & half, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
- Whisk it all together until well combined and a little frothy.Pour the egg mixture all over the top of the bread.
- Gently press the bread into the egg mixture to make sure it soaks in well. A spatula does the trick perfectly. Set that aside for now.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir them together.
- Add in the cold butter that has been sliced up. Cut this in with a pastry blender until crumbly. Next, finely chop the pecans and add them to your topping mixture.
- Sprinkle this all over the top of the bread.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until it is the firmness that you desire.
- Meanwhile, let’s sauté some apples! Core and slice a Granny Smith apple or 2.
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Toss in your apple slices and sauté these for 8-10 minutes, stirring often until the apples are tender.
- Add in the brown sugar and cinnamon and give them a stir. After a minute or so, the sugar has dissolved and you have beautiful apples for your French toast!
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for a couple minutes before serving. Serve this with or without a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is auto-generated and the accuracy is not guaranteed.
Wow this looks so gorgeous and yummy!
Wow. I'm picturing myself making this casserole in a cabin in the mountains. Now to just book that trip…
Mmmm – I love that you put apples with your french toast…I much prefer that to berries! This looks delish!
Thanks for being such a great host this week while we were all away! I love french toast casseroles! It's my favorite way to make it, especially with the crumble topping!
This looks so good and is something my kids would love!
Wow this sounds great! And I can't believe how simple it is–awesome way to use up leftover french bread. Thanks for hosting this week!
Yum! I love both French Toast casserole and sauteed apples. Will have to try them both together next time. :)
Ooh, that crumb topping looks amazing, and your sauted apples are calling my name!
Great looking dish Constance! The combo of apples with the pecan laced topping is making me hungry!
Looks scrumptious!
Oh, great idea to saute the apples!! Looks delicious!
Those apples look amazing! I bet they are wonderful with the french toast.
Wow! I'd just eat this all day if I could
Such a classic. I love french toast casserole and the crumb topping on this one looks amazing!
That looks good Constance. :)
Oh wow, this looks decadent and delicious! I'm not a big fan of regular french toast (I think because some of it is trying to be crunchy, but most of it is mushy?), but this looks like the perfect combination of textures. I think something like this would be perfect for Christmas morning or something.
Oh wow, that looks divine. I love my cast iron pans too, I even have a cast iron wok! I'm addicted and they make apples so amazing.
Ohmigoodness, this looks so good! And how much easier it is to bake French toast as a casserole instead of frying. I'll totally have to try this out.
WHOA that looks phenomenal, Constance! You're a breakfast master! I love make ahead casseroles like this. That crisp topping and those soft sweet sautéed apples are making my mouth water. I can't wait to make this. Thanks for being such a fabulous host. The theme was so much fun!
Thank you Nancy, it was my pleasure!
GORGEOUS French toast casserole! We will definitely be making this spin!
Thank you! :)
Thanks for hosting us, Constance! I love sauteed apples…perfect topping for your irresistible French toast casserole. SO yummy!
Absolutely! Thanks!
Oh man does this look good! What a fabulous recipe! I love the topping!
You managed to get all three meals into one plate Constance, I love this idea of sausage with a sweet bread pudding! Thanks for hosting today!
My menfolk can't hardly go a single meal without meat! LOL
You managed to put the whole three daily meals on a plate Constance! The sausage along this sweet dish is so perfect.
Your French Toast Casserole looks fabulous .. and perfect with the sausage links, yum!!!
Oh my goodness Yum! Apples in the cast iron… you are my hero! Love it. Plus, pecans make everything better.
LOL! Thanks Shannon :)
This looks amazing! Especially love the shot with the apples cooking away- yum! Thanks for hosting this week, what a fun #SundaySupper theme! :-)
Absolutely!!
Oh my GOSH, this look so good! I love french toast, but have never tried as a casserole.
Thanks Nichole! Making it as a casserole is kind of a shortcut – no dipping & frying. You still have to wait for it to bake, but you don't have to stand there the whole time making it happen :)
That looks French toast casserole looks perfect for breakfast, dinner OR dessert, Constance! Thanks for hosting this great theme!
Oh my goodness, Constance. You certainly know how to make your readers hungry! Your casserole combines all the comforts of home-cooking goodness…Don't be surprised if a Ninja Baker shows up on your doorstep soon!
=)
The welcome mat is always out! :)