French Toast Casserole with Pecan Topping
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 29, 2009
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Casserole
1 loaf (16-ounce) supermarket French or Italian bread, torn into 1-inch pieces1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened8 large eggs 2 ½ cups whole milk 1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmegTopping
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened1 ⅓ cups packed (9 ⅓ ounces) light brown sugar 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 2 cups pecans, chopped coarseBefore You Begin
Do not substitute low-fat or skim milk for the whole milk in this recipe. Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans. Be sure to use supermarket-style loaf bread with a thin crust and fluffy crumb; artisan loaves with a thick crust and chewy crumb don’t work well here. The casserole needs to sit in the refrigerator, well covered, for at least 8 hours in order to achieve the desired consistency, and it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Instructions
- Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread out over 2 baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. Let the bread cool completely.
- Coat a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with the butter and pack the dried bread into the dish. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined and then whisk in the milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and press on the bread lightly to submerge.
- Stir the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until smooth, then stir in the pecans.
- Transfer the topping to an airtight container and wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the topping and casserole separately for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the casserole and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top, breaking apart any large pieces with your fingers. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.
for the casserole
for the topping
to store
to serve
Yield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Casserole
Topping
Ingredients
Casserole
Topping
Ingredients
Casserole
Topping
Why This Recipe Works
Testing for our French toast casserole recipe began with bread. We found that French and Italian loaves, with their dense texture and thin, chewy crust, worked best. We also found during our tests that the French toast casserole recipe was best when we “staled” the bread in a moderately hot oven, allowing it to toast slightly before assembling the dish. For the custard, we settled on eight whole eggs and a little less than twice as much whole milk as heavy cream, which gave us a rich and custardy but not cloying result. This was breakfast after all, not dessert.
Before You Begin
Do not substitute low-fat or skim milk for the whole milk in this recipe. Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans. Be sure to use supermarket-style loaf bread with a thin crust and fluffy crumb; artisan loaves with a thick crust and chewy crumb don’t work well here. The casserole needs to sit in the refrigerator, well covered, for at least 8 hours in order to achieve the desired consistency, and it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Instructions
- Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread out over 2 baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. Let the bread cool completely.
- Coat a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with the butter and pack the dried bread into the dish. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined and then whisk in the milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and press on the bread lightly to submerge.
- Stir the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until smooth, then stir in the pecans.
- Transfer the topping to an airtight container and wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the topping and casserole separately for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the casserole and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top, breaking apart any large pieces with your fingers. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.
for the casserole
for the topping
to store
to serve
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