Name: Cast Iron French Toast Casserole
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , softened, plus 4 tablespoons melted; 6 tablespoons packed (2 2/3 ounces/76 grams) brown sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; Pinch salt; 10 slices potato sandwich bread , halved diagonally; 1 2/3 cups whole milk; 4 large eggs; 3 tablespoons sliced almonds , toasted; Confectioners' sugar , for dusting

Why This Recipe Works

French toast is a delicious, easy-to-make breakfast favorite, but could we make it even easier—and more crowd friendly? To meet our goal, we translated the concept of French toast into a casserole. No more standing at the stove, flipping slice after slice, dripping egg wash on the counter, or serving one person at a time: Our French toast casserole is an ideal family breakfast. It takes full advantage of the cast-iron skillet's heat-retaining ability to replicate the crisp-crusted texture of conventional French toast in a simple, family-size dish. Potato bread, with its sturdy slices, was the perfect choice for the base of our casserole. To ensure that the bread would fit easily in a skillet, we halved the slices and layered them in the pan with a brown sugar–cinnamon mixture and butter. Repeating this process to create a double stack, we then poured egg custard over the top so it could soak through the layers of bread. For a satisfying crunch, we topped the casserole with sliced almonds before putting it into the oven and finished the baked casserole with a light dusting of confectioners' sugar. The result? A cast-iron skillet filled with layers of tender, sweet French toast.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12-inch cast-iron skillet with softened butter. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in bowl.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons brown sugar mixture over bottom of prepared skillet. Arrange half of bread pieces in even layer in skillet. Drizzle with 1½ tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar mixture. Repeat layering with remaining bread pieces, 1½ tablespoons melted butter, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar mixture.

Whisk milk and eggs together until well combined, then pour mixture over bread and press gently to help bread soak up egg mixture. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining brown sugar mixture.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake until casserole is slightly puffed and golden brown and bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking.

Using potholders, transfer skillet to wire rack, brush casserole with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter, and let cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.