Baked French Toast Casserole

Original Recipe of Ree Drummond

Prep time: 15 minutes + overnight || Cook time: 45 minutes || Serving: 12 || Rating 9/10

Ingredients

French Toast:

• Butter, for greasing
• 1 loaf crusty sourdough or French bread
• 8 whole eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces, plus more for serving

• Maple syrup, for serving

• 1 cup fresh blueberries, for serving (Optional)

Instructions

For the French toast:

1. Grease the XX baking pan with butter.
2. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan.
3. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread.
4. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably).
5. When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350F.
6. Topping: mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.
7. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top.
8. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour or more for a firmer, crisper texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with syrup and sprinkle with blueberries.