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Christmas: Christmas-Morning French Toast Casserole

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"Christmas morning is a time for family fun and, of course, lots of gifts and excitement. No one wants to miss a moment of celebration, so that's why this casserole is the perfect breakfast solution. First, it's put together the night before so the flavors really get to meld. Second, all you have to do is pop it into the oven. Pretty soon those irresistible warm holiday aromas fill the house and accompany the sounds of laughter as everyone opens their presents. But the best gift is when you and yours are at the table sharing this dish with one another."

List of Ingredients

French Toast:
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 loaf French bread, cut into eighteen to twenty 1-inch-thick slices
â—¦ 8 large eggs
â—¦ 2 cups eggnog
â—¦ 1 cup milk
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
â—¦ Pinch of kosher salt

Topping:
â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 cup packed light brown sugar
â—¦ 1 cup chopped pecans
â—¦ 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
â—¦ ½ to ¾ cup whole red and green maraschino cherries
â—¦ Maple syrup


Recipe

To make the French toast, grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Arrange the bread slices in the baking dish in two overlapping rows.

Whisk together the eggs, eggnog, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread slices, making sure the bread is well covered. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator.

To make the topping, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, pecans, corn syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the bread.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove the casserole from the oven and decorate with the maraschino cherries in clusters of three to look like Holly berries. Serve with maple syrup.

Makes 8 to 10 servings