Do you have a special weekend brunch coming up? Here's what you need at the top of the menu: Very Berry French Toast Bake. Just assemble this breakfast casserole the night prior, and when morning arrives, you can bake up the most delicious pan of French Toast Bake you've ever put in your mouth!
1lb.loaf French or Italian bread, sliced into 1" cubes
8eggs, beaten
1cupwhipping cream
1 1/2cupsmilk, I used 2%
1Tbs.vanilla extract
1/3cupgranulated sugar
1tsp.cinnamon
pinchof kosher salt
Fruit Topping
4cupssliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, combined however you’d like to make the 4 cups needed
1/4cupdark brown sugar
1/2tsp.cinnamon
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup Warm maple syrup, for drizzling
Instructions
Place the bread cubes into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining 7 French Toast ingredients, eggs - salt; pour over the bread cubes, gently pressing all of them into the egg mixture. Cover the pan and place into the fridge overnight, 6-8 hours.
To prepare the fruit topping, combine the sliced strawberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest; reserve.
When you are ready to bake the French Toast, remove it from the fridge and uncover, letting it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread one-half of the prepared fruit topping over the French Toast; place, uncovered, onto the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Top the French Toast Bake with the remaining fruit topping. Cut into 8 squares and serve with warm maple syrup, if desired.