This amazing French Toast Casserole is made with a rich custard soaked into buttery brioche bread. The cream cheese filling and bacon, pecan streusel topping make this dish extra delicious and perfect for special occasions.
This is the perfect recipe for hosting and is great for a holiday morning like Christmas or Mother's Day. The cream cheese filling and streusel topping turn this simple casserole into an extra special treat that covers the breakfast basics of sweet, savory, smooth, and crunchy.
This baked French toast casserole can be put together first thing in the morning or the night before.
Classic French toast typically uses day old or slightly stale bread to help it hold up to the cream and egg mixture. In this recipe you can use fresh bread because once the bread cubes are in the baking dish they won’t be handled again.
Using fresh bread makes it easier to put this recipe together quickly as well because fresh bread will soak up the custard much more quickly.
Ingredients
Brioche Style Bread- This type of bread has a soft texture and flavor enriched with butter and eggs. If you can’t find brioche, then challah bread, or even a Portuguese sweet bread will be delicious in this French toast bake.
How to Make it
Step 1
- Make the cream cheese filling by placing softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract into a medium bowl and mix until smooth and well combined.
Step 2
- Cut brioche bread into 1 inch cubes.
- Place some of your bread cubes into a prepared baking dish in a single layer.
- Add several spoonsful of cream cheese filling to the first layer.
- Then add more brioche cubes and more cream cheese filling. Do this until you fill your baking dish.
Step 3
- Make the French toast custard by whisking together heavy cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
Step 4
- Pour the cream mixture over the brioche.
- Next, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap.
- Use your hands on top of the plastic wrap to press the bread cubes down into the custard mixture.
- Let the casserole sit, covered, for at least 1 hour before baking. You can leave it overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next morning.
Step 5
- Make the streusel topping by cutting chopped pecans, flour, brown sugar, and butter.
Step 6
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Remove the plastic wrap from your casserole. Sprinkle streusel filling crisp cooked bacon pieces over the top of the casserole evenly.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the crumb topping is golden brown. Use a toothpick or knife to check the center of the casserole for doneness. When the French toast bake is fully cooked, the custard in the bread cubes should be firm and hot.
- Serve with warm maple syrup and a side of fresh fruit.
FAQ
There are two reasons why your casserole might be soggy.
- Too much custard. You don’t want your cubed bread to be swimming. Ideally you should have just enough custard to come up about an inch from the top of your baking dish. The bread should soak up all of the liquid and still be firm.Under baking. You want to make sure you check the center of the casserole and that the custard filled bread has firmed up. The custard won’t set until it gets cooked and the soaked bread will be soggy.
There are two main reasons why your casserole is too dry.
1. Too little liquid. If there isn’t enough liquid for every piece of bread to soak up you will end up with dry pieces of bread throughout.
2.Overbaking. Cooking this dish too long will allow moisture to escape and dry out the bread.
Diana’s Tips for Success
When you start to preheat your oven, take your casserole out of the refrigerator so that it will be closer to room temperature. This will help it cook more evenly.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the baking dish or in an airtight container.
Reheating this is very easy. Place individual servings in a microwave safe dish. Cover with a piece of damp paper towel and heat in 30 second intervals until it is warm throughout.
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Easy French Toast Bake with Brioche
Equipment
- 1 13"x9" Baking Dish Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- Loaf Brioche thick sliced bread
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- ½ Whole Milk
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoon Cream or Milk
Bacon Pecan Streusel Topping
- ½ Cup Bacon fried diced
- ½ Cup Pecans chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Butter cold
Instructions
- Make the cream cheese filling by placing softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract into a bowl and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Cut brioche bread into 1 inch cubes.
- Place some of your bread cubes into a greased baking dish in a single layer.
- Add several spoonsful of cream cheese filling to the first layer.
- Then add more brioche cubes and more cream cheese filling. Do this until you fill your baking dish.
- Make the French toast custard by whisking together heavy cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Pour the cream mixture over the brioche.
- Next, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap.
- Use your hands on top of the plastic wrap to press the bread cubes down into the custard.
- Let the casserole sit, covered, for at least 1 hour before baking. You can leave it overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next morning.
- Make the streusel topping by cutting chopped pecans, flour, brown sugar, and butter.
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Remove the plastic wrap from your casserole. Sprinkle streusel filling crisp cooked bacon pieces over the top evenly.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Use a toothpick or knife to check the center of the casserole for doneness. When the French toast bake is fully cooked, the custard in the bread cubes should be firm and hot.
- Serve with maple syrup and a side of fresh cut fruit.
Notes
Nutrition
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Eileen Kelly
Nothing beats an easy french toast casserole. This breakfast casserole was super easy to prepare and the family enjoyed it. I will keep this in my recipe rotation.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Oh wow, this looks so delicious. My family is going to devour it!
Cara
All I can say to this recipe is HECK YES. It's rich, delicious, and perfectly creamy. Loved the texture of the topping as well!
Jacqueline
Mmmmmm! Pass me a spoon and some custard!
Anjali
Omg this was such a decadent and delicious brunch recipe for my family!! We had some relatives visiting this past weekend and served this to everyone, and it was gone in minutes!