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piece of apple french toast casserole on plate
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4.95 from 17 votes

Apple French Toast (Make Ahead Casserole)

Make this apple french toast casserole the night before, then pop it in the oven the next morning. Serve with yogurt and maple syrup. Delish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings (change as needed): 6

Ingredients

  • 4 cups bread ripped or cubed - about 1/2 loaf (I remove crusts)
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 2 cup (500ml) milk (I use 2%)
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar (or less)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Apple (and Pear) Mixture

  • 1 large apple (gala, honey crisp, cortland, macintosh, other)
  • 2 pears (bosc, bartlett, other) or substitute with more apples
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • HEAT OVEN to 375F/190C when ready to bake.
  • PREPARE THE BASIC FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE: Spray an 8 x 8 inch (20X20 cm) ovenproof dish with oil, or grease well with butter. Place bread cubes in the pan. Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Pour over bread, stirring gently to make sure all pieces get soaked.
  • PREPARE APPLE-PEAR MIXTURE: Peel and core apples (and pears if using). Slice apples thinly (about 1/8 inch/3 mm) and pears a little bigger. Heat skillet to medium and add all apple-pear mixture ingredients EXCEPT the pears. Sauté for a few minutes until mixture is bubbly and apples begin to soften. Add pears if using and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Pears need less cooking as they are much softer than apples.
  • ASSEMBLE: Pour half of apple-pear mixture onto the pan over the bread mixture. Gently toss so that the apple-pear mixture is scattered throughout the bread mixture. I use clean hands for this. It's fine if a few pieces of fruit are sticking up or on top. At this point, it's ready to bake. Note 1-3 to make ahead or freeze.
  • BAKE AND SERVE: Bake the casserole. If you like it soft and more custard-like, bake it for 43-45 minutes until lightly browned If you like it drier and crispier, bake it for 48-52 minutes. It will puff up. Just before serving, reheat the rest of the apple-pear mixture in a skillet or in the microwave. Scrape along the sides of the pan before cutting into pieces. Serve topped with remaining apple-pear mixture and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream if desired. Pass the maple syrup.

Notes

  1. Variations to try
    • Add some raisins, chopped pecans or walnuts.
    • Add a tablespoon or two of rum or Amaretto.
    • Use all apples or a mix or pears and apples.
    • Alter the texture to your taste by baking it less for a pudding-like texture or more for a crispier drier texture.
  2. To make ahead the day before: cover casserole tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store in fridge until you are ready to use it (not more than a day and a half ahead). Also store the other half of the apple-pear mixture separately in the fridge to be used as a topping when serving.
  3. To freeze baked casserole: Bake french toast casserole (in a freezer friendly casserole dish), cool completely, wrap well in plastic and tin foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost casserole and extra topping in fridge the night before use. Reheat casserole, covered with foil, about 20 minutes at 350F/177C.
    • For extra apple-pear topping, cool completely and freeze in a sealed container or ziploc bag. Defrost in fridge the day before use, then warm in microwave or in pot on stove. Spoon over casserole before serving.  
  4. To freeze unbaked casserole: Assemble casserole as per recipe. Cover well with plastic and foil, then freeze. Alternatively, spoon casserole contents into a ziploc bag, squeeze out air then freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in fridge the night before using. Bake as per recipe in greased casserole dish, about 45-55 minutes at 375F/190C.
      • For extra apple-pear topping, cool completely and freeze in a sealed container or ziploc bag. Defrost in fridge the day before use, then warm in microwave or in a pot on stove. Spoon over casserole before serving.  
 
Nutrition values are estimates and don't include toppings like yogurt or maple syrup. 
Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 381IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 2mg