With very little prep work, you can stash a dump and bake easy French casserole in the fridge overnight, and wake up to a deliciously satisfying breakfast!
With very little prep work, you can stash a Dump-and-Bake Easy French Toast Casserole in the refrigerator, let it sit overnight, and wake up to a deliciously satisfying breakfast! Perfect for an easy holiday brunch or a lazy Sunday morning, the cinnamon and brown sugar topping on this baked French toast sets it over the top!
Is there anyone who doesn’t love French Toast? As far as I can tell, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Add a cinnamon and brown sugar streusel on top and bake it in a thick casserole, dust with powdered sugar, garnish with fresh spring berries, and drizzle with maple syrup?!?!?! Lawd, help me.
There’s just nothing better!
The best news of all, though? I’ve managed to keep this about as simple as possible!
You guys love my dump-and-bake dinners, so this is basically the brunch version of a dump-and-bake casserole. With practically no prep work necessary, you just assemble the dish and you’re ready to go!
There’s no need to dip bread in an egg custard, and there’s no need to stand over a griddle flipping individual slices before they burn. Instead, just pull the dish out of the oven in the morning, pop it in the oven, and bake it until your house smells AMAZING. Trust me…it’s the best.
So Let’s Get To The Details – Tips For Making This Easy French Toast Casserole
To keep this really easy, I use store-bought frozen slices of buttered Texas Toast that I pick up in the freezer section at our local grocery store. Be careful that you don’t grab the garlic-flavored Texas Toast — that would just be GROSS!
If you can’t find a plain butter-flavored frozen Texas Toast at your store, then you can just use your favorite thick-cut fresh bread from the bakery section. Any bread that you would choose for a classic French Toast will work here as well (for instance, either day-old brioche or a stale French baguette would be delicious)!
As I said, once you have all of your ingredients together, it’s just a matter of whisking some eggs with whole milk and assembling the casserole.
Here’s what it looks like before it goes in the oven:
You’ll notice that I prepared this particular version in a smaller 8-inch square dish to feed a smaller group. In the recipe below, you will find instructions for a larger casserole dish as well as the modifications for a smaller dish. Pick the option that works best for your family!
You can also see that I cut the bread to fit the dish. It doesn’t need to look perfect!
Once the Easy French Toast Casserole comes out of the oven, you will realize just how PERFECT this meal really is!
The part that truly makes it special, however, is the cinnamon brown sugar streusel that forms a perfect crispy crust on top.
It’s the best contrast to the soft, tender bread inside.
In other words, we’re having Bread Pudding for breakfast!😀
What Can I Top This Easy French Toast Casserole With?
- The only thing that could possibly make it better is the addition of fresh spring berries on top such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
- And maybe a dusting of powdered sugar
- Or a drizzle of maple syrup
Go big, or go home, right?!
This decadent (yet easy) French Toast Casserole is perfect for your Easter brunch, for your next quiet Sunday morning at home, or for a weeknight breakfast-for-dinner!
With cinnamon, spice, and everything nice, it’s one dish that I know your family will adore!
If you’ve tried this Easy French Toast Casserole or any other recipe on The Seasoned Mom then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to see what I’m getting up to.
Dump-and-Bake French Toast Casserole
With very little prep work, you can stash a dump and bake easy French casserole in the fridge overnight, and wake up to a deliciously satisfying breakfast!
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick butter, melted
- 12 slices frozen buttered Texas Toast 2 boxes, thawed *
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 7 eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- Optional for serving: maple syrup, powdered sugar, and/or fresh fruit
Instructions
- Pour melted butter into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together vanilla extract, eggs and milk.
- Arrange 6 bread slices in a single layer on the bottom of the buttered baking dish. You can cut the bread, as necessary, to fit the bottom of the dish.
- Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over top.
- Add another layer of bread slices. Pour egg mixture over the bread, and gently push down on the bread to make sure that they are evenly submerged.
- Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over top.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. The longer it sits, the better!
When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the casserole is set and the top is golden brown.
- Drizzle with maple syrup or dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Recipe Notes
*I use Food Lion brand Butter Texas Toast. If you can’t find a similar butter Texas Toast in your grocer’s freezer section, you can substitute with any thick-cut fresh bread from the bakery. Spread a thin layer of butter on each slice before assembling casserole.
Cooking for a Smaller Family? As you can see here, I baked my French Toast Casserole for these photos in an 8-inch square dish. To do so, just cut the ingredients in half. Baking instructions remain the same.
French toast casseroles are my favorite! Love this easy version. Sounds perfect for Easter!
They’re definitely one of my favorites too, Gayle! SO GOOD! 🙂
This was a hit for Easter brunch! Used a dense Italian loaf that is made locally and sliced it thick. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Hi, Jean! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Wow I’ve never made a french toast casserole before this looks amazing. Perfect for weekend brunch!
Thanks, Emily!
Super Easy to follow and bake up. I prepared everything and left overnight. yummy…yummy have printed out a copy for my Mom. I have 3 more breakfasts for myself. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed it, Barbara. Thanks for sharing the recipe with your mom, too! 🙂
was very easy , good flavor . but was a little too soggy and very sweet .
should I bake it longer and how can I make it a little healthier?
Hi, Sharon! You can bake it longer, and just cover loosely with foil if the top starts to get too brown before the inside is cooked to your liking. If you found it to be too sweet, you could try cutting the sugar mixture in half. It won’t have that crusty, thick streusel-like topping, but there will still be a little bit of sweetness and crunch…maybe you would prefer it that way?