Looking for a hearty breakfast idea that is fun to make, a little out of the ordinary, and the whole family will love? This french toast casserole has everything you love from the traditional french toast, piled into one dish.
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Quick French Toast Casserole
French toast casserole is a fun yet excellent meal for breakfast and brunch. It goes great with any side and is loved by even the most pickiest eaters.
As you will see below, I went the easy, quick route with this recipe but left the room to customize as desired.
Not ready for a full-on baking breakfast? Try these simple cast iron pancakes.
There are a number of ways to make french toast casserole, the most popular probably being the “overnight” version.
While that method allows the filling to soak into the breading, I have found that the mix and bake method is quite delicious as well.
It actually leaves the bread soft and fluffy, which is a little different than french toast was originally meant to be, but very delightful.
Sourdough Bread French Toast
With a brand new stand-up mixer in the house calling my name, I decided to show it some love and use it to make homemade sourdough bread.
Using a stand-up mixer or kitchen aid is absolutely necessary in order to make bread. Without it, the bread will end up flat and dense.
I know this now because that’s how my bread would turn out before the days of the mixer.
Making homemade bread is not necessary, and I do list some of my favorite/popular loaves of bread to use for french toast casserole below.
Cast Iron French Toast
Sourdough French Toast Casserole Recipe
Start out by chopping up a loaf of sourdough or preferred choice of bread into decent size chunks. Add to a large, 12″ cast iron skillet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, honey, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well and drizzle evenly over the top of the bread.
At this point, you can either cover the dish and place it in the fridge overnight to let the mixture soak into the bread or continue on.
Either way, the following steps will be the same. First, dot the top of the dish with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or until done. Oven times greatly vary, so adjust cooking times accordingly. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
This french toast casserole is best enjoyed warm with a glass of OJ. However, if you do find yourself with leftovers, It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheated in the oven.
How to Spruce up French Toast
The whole point of this recipe blog is to share recipes that are simple, quick, and for the most part, use ingredients generally found in most kitchens.
So, with that being said, check out these delicious add-ins for a one-of-a-kind french toast casserole.
Add crumbled-up bacon over the top of the dish just before baking. A unique twist on the traditional french toast
Zest an orange and sprinkle the top when there are about 5 minutes left on baking. This is not for everybody-but I recommend trying it at least on one half of the dish.
Use cinnamon swirl or cinnamon raisin bread in replace of sourdough. Add ¼ cup of raisins to the egg mixture. Absolutely delicious!
Add your favorite nuts for a little added crunch: pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia, etc. Mix the nuts in when adding the bread.
What Kind of Bread to Use?
Realistically, any bread will work; I list a few of the popular favorites.
Of course, this recipe calls for sourdough, but use whatever kind you prefer, gluten-free, egg-free, etc. and let me know how it turned out in the comments.
- French Bread
- Sourdough
- Italian
- Brioche bread (I make a chocolate chip French toast this way)
- Thomas Cinnamon Swirl bread, it gives the whole dish a different “vibe.”
I hope you enjoyed this simple breakfast recipe. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. And for more great meal inspiration, try one of these favorites below.
More Breakfast Favorites
- Sausage Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Dutch Baby Pancakes
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Banana Nut Bread
- Honey Butter Biscuits
Sourdough French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread
- 6 eggs
- 4 tbsp butter chopped into small pieces
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon save 1 tsp for topping
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Chop up bread into bite-size chunks, add to 12" cast iron skillet.
- Whisk eggs, milk, honey salt, and 1 tsp of the cinnamon in a small mixing bowl.
- Pour over the top of the bread.
- Dot the top of the bread with butter and sprinkle with sugar and remaining cinnamon.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.
- Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Made this for a snow day. My family really enjoyed it! Thanks!
Thanks for this tasty recipe
Question :
Can u make night before set in fridge and bake in morning?
Hugs Della Dawn
Absolutely. In fact, some prefer it that way. It saves time in the morning and allows the mixture to soak into the bread!
Do u use the whole loaf?? I have used about 5 pieces and it is filling the skillet?
Just enough bread to fill the skillet. My homemade bread was the perfect amount but do adjust accordingly.
I made this with an almond flour bread and it worked well! Still did honey but used some brown sugar to make up part of th sweetener. You could tell it was a less fluffy and nutty tasting bread but everything tasted the same from your recipe’s stand point! The bread didn’t loose it’s shape either
This is the bread recipe I used. https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/gluten-free-bread/
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
In your directions you never mention when to put the eggs in until step 6 “or until eggs are cooked through”
Thank you, I just updated it.