Baked French Toast is the easiest way to serve a crowd. This recipe is full of flavor and has the softest, chewiest texture. You will never go back to individual slices of bread again!

 

We had the pleasure of having our niece spend the weekend with us. She recently had her wisdom teeth out and since she’s away at college her mom asked if she could visit with us while she recovered.

We were more than happy to have her with us for a few days. Not only is she so fun to be around but our three girls adore her!

Normally when we have family in town we like to grill and use the Traeger for a few meals but since she was limited with what she could eat- we weren’t able to spoil her with home cooked meals.

Until her last day here that is.

By day four she was able to start eating more solid foods but only if it was still soft. So we started thinking about what we could make and came up with the idea to make a Baked French Toast.

It wasn’t too hard to come up with a recipe once I started thinking about what flavors I wanted it to have.

I had to run to the to grab some french bread-but other than that I used ingredients that are typically in our pantry or fridge- therefore making this french toast casserole simple, fast and delicious!

What is a French Toast Bake?

When we served a plate of this for our eight year old she looked at us and asked “I thought we were having french toast!” We then explained that this was french toast- just served a bit differently.

French Toast Bake or Casserole is a much more convenient and fancy way to serve french toast.

You use bread, egg, milk and other spices just as you would traditional french toast.

But instead of making it one slice at a time- you break up the bread and coat it with your mixture in a baking dish.

Baked French Toast is perfect for brunch, dinner, Easter or Christmas morning or anytime you’re serving a crowd.

Substitutions

For this recipe we used french bread from the local store but you could play around with it and use ciabatta, cinnamon swirl bread, or any kind of artisan bread. 

Just make sure the chunks are large enough as listed below.

I used my Traeger grill for this recipe but you can just as easily use your oven.

After making this we were brainstorming other ingredients we could add to it. This would be delicious with fruit (think bananas, strawberries, blueberries) added into the dish or on top after baking.

It would be amazing with whipped cream or a caramel sauce, too.

FAQ

Can I double this recipe? Yep! Make how many batches you would like, just make sure you have a large enough baking dish- or divide it into two.

Can you refrigerate french toast casserole? Yes. Store in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to three days.

How you do reheat baked french toast? Simply put in a microwaveoven  safe bowl or dish and slowly reheat until warmed through.

Can you make french toast casserole ahead of time? The best way to do this would be to make sure your bread is slightly stale or dry before putting in the dish.

What can you serve with french toast casserole? You can fancy up this dish with toppings or pair it with another entree. Here are a few of our favorites: 

• fruit
• whipped cream
• syrup
• bacon 
• sausage
• eggs
• breakfast casserole
• Oatmeal

 

Ingredients

 

 

Large loaf of French bread

5 large Eggs

1.5 C Whole Milk or Half & Half

1/2 C Sugar

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

3 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat Grill or Oven to 375° F

Cut large loaf of French bread into 1”x1” cubes – enough to make 9-10 Cups

Whisk together:

 5 large Eggs

1.5 C Whole Milk or Half & Half

1/2 C Sugar

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

3 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Pour over bread or mix together in bowl

Sprinkle another 1/4 C brown sugar on top and place in grill or oven.

Glaze:

4 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Melt in pot and add to mixture 20 minutes into baking.

Remove and enjoy immediately.

Bake at 375° F for 35-40 minutes