French Toast Casserole is a classic breakfast/brunch dish for family gatherings or holidays. Now you can easily make an amount that fits smaller households. Make it ahead or bake right away with these quick and easy instructions.
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Introduction and My Rating
Time to make your life easier. This overnight recipe bakes in the morning, so the cook (you) can participate in the family activities. French toast casserole is becoming the “green bean casserole” of Christmas for this reason.
But if you’re not feeding an army for breakfast, you had to choose other options. Let’s make a smaller version that will serve a smaller household or every day for a family.
After reading many recipes and reading hundreds of comments on the recipe sites, I have concluded, “just do what you want.”
I started with a Taste of Home recipe as the model recipe, but like every other recipe I looked at, it required a small army to consume it all. So my first act, cut in half. Then a little change here and there, and we have a smaller version that is quick and easy but still tastes great.
My Rating
My rating is a nice 4+. My wife is at 5. She loved it, as did I. Her argument is for the given situations (Christmas morning, etc.), it is a solid home run. I’ll yield to her.
🥖The Bread
While the most common bread recommended was a crusty French, almost any bread should be fine. If you are buying bread, get a small baguette of French but otherwise, use what you want.
I suggest the best choice will be a mild stale crusty bread in cubes. A softer bread will tend to get mushy. If you had a soft bread you want to use, toss it on a tray in a 200 oven for about 10 minutes first to dry it some.
✔️Tips
Baking without the overnight soak is ok, but it missed the point of having a dish to toss into the oven with little fuss in the morning while you enjoy the fun. But still, it is OK to mix and bake.
This recipe is easily doubled. Use a 9 by 13 pan. The baking time will be perhaps 10 minutes longer. The topping might get browner than you want, so tenting with foil near the end will prevent that.
For food safety, please bake until an internal temperature of 165°.
The original recipe baked entirely covered. I wanted some crispiness and baked entirely uncovered. Again, a matter of taste.
❄️Storage and Reheating
Storage before cooking is limited to 24 hours for me due to the eggs. Others will suggest longer. Of course, covered and refrigerated.
After cooking, this can be stored covered and refrigerated for 2-3 days. Best if reheated in the oven at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help crisp the crust some again where reheating with a microwave will be soft.
📖Breakfast Recipes
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
How to Cook Sausage in the Oven
Healthier Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
🖼️Instructions
Coat a 6 by 9 baking dish with butter.
Cut 8 oz of crusty French bread into 1-inch cubes and add to the pan.
Combine 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix lightly.
Pour milk mixture over the bread, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or you can proceed to the next step and cook now.
In the morning, remove from refrigerator and uncover—preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in microwave and brush top.
Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
Bake until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°—about 40-45 minutes. Helpful hint, the bread will puff up some near the end. When the center is puffed, that is about the minimum time, but it will be soggy still. Go a little longer to get a dryer casserole.
Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
Top with maple syrup if you want or a dusting of powder sugar.
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📖 Recipe
Smaller French Toast Casserole
French Toast Casserole is a classic breakfast/brunch dish for family gatherings or holidays. Now you can easily make an amount that fits smaller households. Make it ahead or bake right away with these quick and easy instructions.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Coat a 6 by 9 baking dish with butter.
-
Cut 8 oz of crusty French bread into 1-inch cubes and add to the pan.
-
Combine 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix lightly.
-
Pour milk mixture over the bread, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or you can proceed to the next step and cook now.
-
In the morning, remove from refrigerator and uncover—preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in microwave and brush top.
-
Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
-
Bake until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°—about 40-45 minutes. Helpful hint, the bread will puff up some near the end. When the center is puffed, that is about the minimum time, but it will be soggy still. Go a little longer to get a dryer casserole.
-
Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
-
Top with maple syrup if you want or a dusting of powder sugar.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- I suggest a crusty bread and if it is a little stale, that is good. If you opt for a softer bread, you might want to dry it out a bit in a 200° oven for about 10 minutes.
- This uses a 6 by 9 casserole dish but an 8 by 8 pan will work fine also.
- Double in a 9 by 13 casserole or cake pan. A double recipe may take a few minutes longer to cook.
- Some recipes suggest cooking covered but I think the crunchy top is important and suggests uncovered.
- The endpoint of cooking is nicely browned and an internal temperature of 165° due to the eggs.
- Storage before cooking is limited to 24 hours for me due to the eggs but others will suggest longer. Of course, covered and refrigerated.
- After cooking, this can be stored covered and refrigerated for 2-3 days.
- Best if reheated in the oven at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help crisp the crust some again where reheating with a microwave will be soft.
TO ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition
Calories : 191 kcalCarbohydrates : 27 gProtein : 8 gFat : 5 gSaturated Fat : 2 gCholesterol : 114 mgSodium : 446 mgPotassium : 89 mgFiber : 1 gSugar : 6 gVitamin A : 217 IUCalcium : 36 mgIron : 2 mg
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published December 22, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
