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Toaster-Oven French Toast Casserole

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 18, 2022

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Toaster-Oven French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon table salt 18 slices potato sandwich bread, divided2½ cups whole milk 6 large eggs ¼ cup sliced almonds, toastedConfectioners' sugar

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Martin’s Potato Bread, which has 16 slices per loaf, so you’ll need to buy two loaves. With other brands, it may also be necessary to trim the slices to fit six in a single layer. Before starting this recipe, confirm that a 13 by 9-inch baking pan fits in your toaster oven and has at least 2 inches of space between the pan and the top heating element. Depending on your toaster oven, you may need to lower the rack position.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish with softened butter. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in bowl.
  2.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Place 6 bread slices (use bread heels here) in even layer in bottom of dish. Brush bread with 1½ tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar mixture.
  3.  Place 6 bread slices in single layer over first layer, brush with 1½ tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar mixture. Place remaining 6 bread slices over previous layer and brush with 1½ tablespoons melted butter.
  4.  In separate bowl, whisk milk and eggs until well combined, then pour evenly over bread. Gently press down on layers with spatula to saturate bread. (Casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.)
  5. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining sugar mixture. Bake until casserole is slightly puffed and golden brown and bubbling around edges, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Transfer dish to wire rack, brush with remaining 1½ tablespoons melted butter, and let cook for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Toaster-Oven French Toast Casserole
Photography by Keller + Keller.

Toaster-Oven French Toast Casserole

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon table salt
18 slices potato sandwich bread, divided
2½ cups whole milk
6 large eggs
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Confectioners' sugar

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon table salt
18 slices potato sandwich bread, divided
2½ cups whole milk
6 large eggs
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Confectioners' sugar

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon table salt
18 slices potato sandwich bread, divided
2½ cups whole milk
6 large eggs
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Confectioners' sugar

Why This Recipe Works

French toast is absolutely delicious, but making the slices one after the other means someone is guaranteed to get cold, soggy French toast, or the cook will be eating alone. We fixed that by turning French toast into a casserole so it’s one and done for the entire family, and it can even be prepped up to 12 hours in advance. We chose hearty potato bread because it held up better than regular sandwich bread and layered it with a warm spice–brown sugar mixture and melted butter. To bind everything together, we poured a creamy custard over the entire dish. We topped the casserole with sliced almonds and a dusting of the brown sugar mixture and baked it for half an hour. The result: a family-size dish filled with layers of bubbling, tender, sweet French toast—ready all at once.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Martin’s Potato Bread, which has 16 slices per loaf, so you’ll need to buy two loaves. With other brands, it may also be necessary to trim the slices to fit six in a single layer. Before starting this recipe, confirm that a 13 by 9-inch baking pan fits in your toaster oven and has at least 2 inches of space between the pan and the top heating element. Depending on your toaster oven, you may need to lower the rack position.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish with softened butter. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in bowl.
  2.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Place 6 bread slices (use bread heels here) in even layer in bottom of dish. Brush bread with 1½ tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar mixture.
  3.  Place 6 bread slices in single layer over first layer, brush with 1½ tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar mixture. Place remaining 6 bread slices over previous layer and brush with 1½ tablespoons melted butter.
  4.  In separate bowl, whisk milk and eggs until well combined, then pour evenly over bread. Gently press down on layers with spatula to saturate bread. (Casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.)
  5. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining sugar mixture. Bake until casserole is slightly puffed and golden brown and bubbling around edges, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Transfer dish to wire rack, brush with remaining 1½ tablespoons melted butter, and let cook for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.

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