Overnight French Toast Casserole

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 09/17/20
Overnight french toast casserole
Diana Rattray
  • Total: 25 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
277 Calories
18g Fat
21g Carbs
8g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 277
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 192mg 64%
Sodium 143mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 8g
Calcium 103mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you're used to having visitors spend the night at your house, you're familiar with hectic times in the kitchen, trying to feed an army of people. Baked casseroles, sweet or savory, are great options for large groups of people because they go a long way when served with fruit and spreads (or a small cheese plate), are easy to prep, and there won't be much to clean after, besides your guests empty plates.

This overnight French toast casserole is especially convenient since it can be prepared the night before and then baked in the morning. You might also like New Orleans Style French Toast or pain perdu, or a different French toast flavor like in our vanilla version.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
  • 12 slices ​French bread (3/4-inch-thick)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups​ milk (or half-and-half)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Garnish: confectioners sugar (to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Spread butter over bottom of large jelly roll baking pan with 1-inch-high sides or a casserole dish. Arrange bread slices in the pan.

  3. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture over bread and turn bread slices until evenly coated.

  4. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

  5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 F. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the bread over and continue baking just until a rich golden brown, about 5 to 6 additional minutes.

  6. Transfer cooked French toast to plates and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve hot with maple syrup or your favorite topping.

Toppings for Your Toast

French toast is a great brunch dish and can be the centerpiece of an even tastier spread by using one of the following variations:

  • Sweet Savory Toast: Follow the recipe to the letter and while the toast bakes, pan-fry 12 slices of bacon until crispy. Discard the fat. Serve each portion of toast with 2 strips of bacon and extra maple syrup on the side.
  • Chocolate Toast: Follow the recipe to the letter and 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, sprinkle 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of the toast. Finish baking and serve each slice with freshly cut strawberries.
  • Croque Madame Toast: Follow the recipe to the letter and bake the toast in two separate pans, dividing the bread evenly into the pans. Once the slices of French toast are cooked, take both pans out of the oven and top one of the pans with 1 layer of sliced Gruyere cheese and 1 layer of good quality ham. Cover the toast that has the ham and cheese with the undressed slices, making sandwiches, and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. While they bake crack open 6 eggs and fry them. Top the French toast Croque Madames with a fried egg each.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

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