French Toast Casserole is a classic breakfast/brunch dish for family gatherings or holidays. Now you can easily make an amount that fits smaller households. Make it ahead or bake right away with these quick and easy instructions.
Introduction and My Rating
Time to make your life easier. This overnight recipe bakes in the morning, so the cook (you) can participate in the family activities. French toast casserole is becoming the "green bean casserole" of Christmas for this reason.
But if you're not feeding an army for breakfast, you had to choose other options. Let's make a smaller version that will serve a smaller household or every day for a family.
After reading many recipes and reading hundreds of comments on the recipe sites, I have concluded, "just do what you want."
I started with a Taste of Home recipe as the model recipe, but like every other recipe I looked at, it required a small army to consume it all. So my first act, cut in half. Then a little change here and there, and we have a smaller version that is quick and easy but still tastes great.
My Rating
My rating is a nice 4+. My wife is at 5. She loved it, as did I. Her argument is for the given situations (Christmas morning, etc.), it is a solid home run. I'll yield to her.
🥖The Bread
While the most common bread recommended was a crusty French, almost any bread should be fine. If you are buying bread, get a small baguette of French but otherwise, use what you want.
I suggest the best choice will be a mild stale crusty bread in cubes. A softer bread will tend to get mushy. If you had a soft bread you want to use, toss it on a tray in a 200 oven for about 10 minutes first to dry it some.
✔️Tips
Baking without the overnight soak is ok, but it missed the point of having a dish to toss into the oven with little fuss in the morning while you enjoy the fun. But still, it is OK to mix and bake.
This recipe is easily doubled. Use a 9 by 13 pan. The baking time will be perhaps 10 minutes longer. The topping might get browner than you want, so tenting with foil near the end will prevent that.
For food safety, please bake until an internal temperature of 165°.
The original recipe baked entirely covered. I wanted some crispiness and baked entirely uncovered. Again, a matter of taste.
❄️Storage and Reheating
Storage before cooking is limited to 24 hours for me due to the eggs. Others will suggest longer. Of course, covered and refrigerated.
After cooking, this can be stored covered and refrigerated for 2-3 days. Best if reheated in the oven at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help crisp the crust some again where reheating with a microwave will be soft.
📖Breakfast Recipes
How to Cook Sausage in the Oven
Healthier Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
🖼️Instructions
Coat a 6 by 9 baking dish with butter.
Cut 8 oz of crusty French bread into 1-inch cubes and add to the pan.
Combine 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix lightly.
Pour milk mixture over the bread, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or you can proceed to the next step and cook now.
In the morning, remove from refrigerator and uncover—preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in microwave and brush top.
Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
Bake until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°—about 40-45 minutes. Helpful hint, the bread will puff up some near the end. When the center is puffed, that is about the minimum time, but it will be soggy still. Go a little longer to get a dryer casserole.
Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
Top with maple syrup if you want or a dusting of powder sugar.
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📖 Recipe
Smaller French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz French bread - cubed about 1 inch, but other bread would do
- 4 eggs - large
- 1 ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Coat a 6 by 9 baking dish with butter.
- Cut 8 oz of crusty French bread into 1-inch cubes and add to the pan.
- Combine 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix lightly.
- Pour milk mixture over the bread, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or you can proceed to the next step and cook now.
- In the morning, remove from refrigerator and uncover—preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in microwave and brush top.
- Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
- Bake until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°—about 40-45 minutes. Helpful hint, the bread will puff up some near the end. When the center is puffed, that is about the minimum time, but it will be soggy still. Go a little longer to get a dryer casserole.
- Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
- Top with maple syrup if you want or a dusting of powder sugar.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- I suggest a crusty bread and if it is a little stale, that is good. If you opt for a softer bread, you might want to dry it out a bit in a 200° oven for about 10 minutes.
- This uses a 6 by 9 casserole dish but an 8 by 8 pan will work fine also.
- Double in a 9 by 13 casserole or cake pan. A double recipe may take a few minutes longer to cook.
- Some recipes suggest cooking covered but I think the crunchy top is important and suggests uncovered.
- The endpoint of cooking is nicely browned and an internal temperature of 165° due to the eggs.
- Storage before cooking is limited to 24 hours for me due to the eggs but others will suggest longer. Of course, covered and refrigerated.
- After cooking, this can be stored covered and refrigerated for 2-3 days.
- Best if reheated in the oven at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help crisp the crust some again where reheating with a microwave will be soft.
Nutrition
Editor's Note: Originally Published December 22, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Sue Shortley
Hello! Dr. Dan, what do you think about adding some breakfast sausage to this and how would you do it? Thanks, Sue
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Sue,
I probably would not add it in the dish. Raw would have too much drainage and cooked probably would dry out. Try cooking it in the same oven https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cook-sausage-oven/ You can vary the oven temp on both these dishes. Maybe go up to 375 and put to sausage in at about 10 minutes. You are cooking both to a final internal temperature so you can fudge around a bit.
Dan
Kathy
I like that this is in a small dish. By 9 x 5 do you mean a large loaf pan? Thanks.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kathy,
Welcome to the blog.
I used a small casserole that is 5X9 os a large loaf pan will usually by 9X5 so that is fine.
When substituting pans, many times just the area of the surface will tell you if you are fine. Here both those are 45 sq. inches. But some smaller loaf pans are 8X3.5 so only 28 sq. inches. An 8 inch round is 50 sq. inches - close enough. I try not to vary by over 20%.
Dan
Kelly
Does the bread need to be dried out beforeahand?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kelly,
Welcome to the blog.
The answer is no, the liquid in the recipe will rehydrate the bread if it is dry but there is really not much water in bread after it is baked so it doesn't really matter if it is dry or not.
Dan
Katy Flaherty
Just...Yummy. My picky husband loved it - even had a 2nd helping. Definitely a keeper. Thank You!
Anne
This one is a winner, Dr. Dan! Very easy to put together the night before, dead simple to finish in the morning, with a great presentation. Thank you!
Jessica Waters
I made this for AirBnB guests, added bacon and cheese to make it hearty!
Sprinkled lemon cardamom sugar on top. Oh yeah.
Janet
Can this be frozen after baking? If yes, for how long?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Janet,
Welcome to the blog.
It should freeze well for 3-4 months.
Dan
Jen
Baked for longer. Top was crunchy and bottom was soupy :(
Want to try again, maybe original recipe in a 9 x 13 pan.
Andrea
Not bad but after it was made we noticed that something was missing, the vanilla. It calls for it in the ingredients but if your reading through the instructions it fails to mention it in the mixture. I should have realized it was missing but unfortunately I was making it by reading the instructions only. Without the vanilla I would give it a 2 out 5. With the vanilla it would probably get a 4 out of 5
DrDan
Sorry about that... Fixed
Dan
Amanda
If we needed to make it same day due not having overnight availability, can it be done? If so for how long or does it Have to be refrigerated for 8 hours? Before cooking?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Amanda,
A few hours should be fine.
Dan