Baked French Toast Casserole
By Paula Deen
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May 08, 2022
Difficulty: Medium
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
- dash salt
- 1 teaspoon divided ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon divided ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 loaf (13 to 16 oz) French bread
- 1/2 lb plus more for pan butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 cup raspberry preserves
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur
Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9X13 casserole dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 °F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup.
Praline Topping:
Combine butter, brown sugar, pecans, light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.
Raspberry Syrup:
Combine raspberry preserves, water and liqueur in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.
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May 08, 2022
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The Deen Team
Paula recommends making it up the night before you plan to bake!
Should this be baked covered or uncovered?
Thanks!
The Deen Team
You can bake uncovered!
I followed this French toast casserole recipe exactly. The two front pieces were browned and firm with a little crispness - - perfection. However, the remaining overlapping pieces came out mushy. YUK! I served this for a family get-together and although it looked and smelled delicious, the texture was very unappetizing. Is there a way to prevent the mushiness?
The Deen Team
Try using a dryer or stale bread. Dryer bread will be able to absorb more liquid. If you're using soft, moist, fresh bread, try baking it at 300?F for 15 to 20 minutes to dry it out. If there is more than half a cup of liquid left in the dish when you check the casserole in the morning, drain a bit off before baking. We hope this helps!
The Deen Team
We recommend sticking to baking the casserole in the oven to keep the correct consistency and texture. Enjoy!
May 08, 2022