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Are you ready to add some excitement to your breakfast routine? Try a breakfast casserole! This Blueberry French Toast Casserole is the perfect way to start your day off on the right foot. Next time you need an overnight breakfast casserole for a holiday breakfast try this great recipe for Christmas Day OR Mother’s Day!
Eggs, milk, brown sugar, french bread, cinnamon, and vanilla come together with luscious plump blueberries and lemon zest to make this easy blueberry french toast casserole a recipe you’ll reach for again and again. Make it the night before and slide it into the oven to bake while you make coffee and relax. Or in my house, run around and try to get everyone ready by the time the casserole is done.
What to serve with this casserole
To go with it you can serve it with any of my breakfast recipes such as Air Fryer Breakfast Sausages or this easy Frittata, or even these aidell’s sausages!
Serve the casserole with pure maple syrup, blueberry syrup, or any kind of syrup you like. Add whipped cream for the ultimate holiday breakfast.
You need dry bread for this casserole
In the same way that you use leftover bread or dried stale bread for french toast, you want to do the same with this casserole. If your loaf of french bread is not stale rip it into roughly 1-inch chunks, lay it on a baking sheet, spread it out in an even layer, and dry it in the oven at the lowest temperature in the oven until the bread chunks are dried through.
Drying the bread is an important step in making this french toast so don’t skip it. Tear the bread, don’t cut it with a bread knife because you want all those lovely nooks and crannies to soak up all the milk and eggs.
Why is my casserole soggy?
If you don’t use stale or dried bread your french toast casserole will be a soggy floppy mess. The bread will not soak up the egg-milk mixture and the whole thing will stay wet and soupy. French toast really needs to be made with dried bread for the best egg custard results.
What You Need to Make this Overnight French Toast Casserole
- loaf of French bread OR challah bread
- large eggs
- whole milk, you can use evaporated milk or cream
- blueberries
- lemon zest
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 2 1/2 quart baking pan or casserole dish (I used this Made-In Baking Dish)
- whisk
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- large bowl
Change up this recipe!
We all love a recipe for a meal we can just slide in the oven and walk away from! But the real beauty of this recipe is that it’s so easy-going and adaptable to your taste preferences. Don’t like blueberries? Swap them out for your favorite fruit or berries! Oh or even chocolate chips, YUM!
You can even add some protein. Just make sure it’s fully cooked before adding it to the casserole because it will be chilling for hours in the fridge and we don’t need any food poisoning happening.
Add some cooked crumbled sausage or sausage links! Cooked and crumbled bacon can be added to the egg mixture or on top of the casserole as well.
If you’re NOT using fruit at all then skip the brown sugar in the custard and add some savory seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and maybe even a dash of hot sauce. The possibilities are endless, so get creative and make it your own!
Use fresh or frozen blueberries for this easy recipe
For this recipe, you can use EITHER fresh or frozen blueberries for this breakfast casserole. For fresh blueberries just rinse them and let them drip dry before using.
If using frozen blueberries you can leave them frozen until you’re ready to use them. Just break them up before adding them to the French toast casserole if they’re clumped up.
Can I use Gluten Free Bread for this recipe?
I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free bread. I don’t know what would happen in real life with bread that has no gluten. It may not adequately soak up the egg mixture or maybe it works out just fine.
Other Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love!
If you LOVE cheesecake, try this Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast. Ooey gooey filling and strawberries?? YES, PLEASE!! Or this Air Fryer French Toast for those of us who just don’t have time! And this fun Pancake Spaghetti looks AMAZING!!
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be reheated in the microwave or in a quick blast in the air fryer.
Overnight Blueberry French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 pound french bread challah, or italian bread
- 1/2 TBSP butter
- 8 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- if your bread is fresh make it dry and crispy, tear the bread into 1 inch or so chunks, don't cut it, tear it for best results
- place it on a baking sheet and bake at about 200° for 15-20 minutes, or until dry and crispy, taste one to see what it’s like inside, it it isn’t crispy keep going
- to assemble the casserole butter a 2 1/2 quart baking dish
- whisk the eggs and milk together
- in a small bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together
- whisk that into the egg mixture along with the vanilla
- when the bread is dried put half of it in a mixing bowl and pour half the egg mix over the top
- spread in the prepared pan, pressing the bread down into the egg mix to be sure it’s soaking it up
- sprinkle one cup of blueberries and half of the lemon zest over the top of the bread
- repeat the layers and press the bread down as needed again
- cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours so the bread can soak up the egg mix
- to bake, remove it from the fridge and let it rest at room temp so the pan can come to temperature before baking
- then preheat the oven to 350°
- remove the covering, and bake the casserole for 45 minutes or until the bread on top is golden brown
- let it rest 10 minutes before serving
- serve with syrup if desired
Nutrition
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