Cranberry + Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast Casserole Recipe
You can substitute any type of fruit jam/preserves, or even use whole fresh fruit for the cranberry sauce. There isn't much you can do to something like this to mess it up. Which is why I make it!
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 large loaf of challah or brioche bread
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 2 cups cornflakes
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- maple syrup, honey, or powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
Assemble French Toast Casserole:
- Slice bread into 1 to 1½-inch thick slices or whatever width, so that you get at least 10-12 slices. Lay slices on a flat surface (a baking sheet or a very large cutting board) and let dry out a little. I left mine out for a couple of hours in the morning.
- Butter bottom and sides of 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.
- Arrange half of the slices of bread in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping the slices a little bit. Slowly pour or ladle about one-third of the egg+milk mixture over the layer of bread.
- Using your fingers, break apart the softened cream cheese into small chunks, flattening the chunks out to about ½-inch thick. Dot the cream cheese over the bottom layer of bread. Spoon cranberry sauce between and over the cream cheese. Pour or ladle a little more of the egg+milk mixture between the cranberry sauce and cream cheese dollops.
- Arrange the remaining half of bread slices over the cranberry sauce and cream cheese in a single layer, and slightly overlapping (like the first layer). Slowly pour or ladle the remaining egg+milk mixture over the bread. Tilt the baking dish and let excess egg+milk mixture run to one side; spoon the excess back over the top. Do this a few times to help the bread soak up the egg+milk.
- Cover the baking dish with foil, put in refrigerator, and allow the bread to soak for at least one hour, up to overnight.
To Bake French Toast Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour cornflakes into a small bowl. Drizzle with melted butter all, sprinkle with salt, then toss together to combine. It's ok if not all the cornflakes are coated with butter. Set aside for a moment.
- Bake casserole, covered with casserole lid or foil for 30 minutes. Uncover casserole, sprinkle with cornflakes, and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more, until edges of bread get toasted and cornflakes are browned.
- Alternative: Without cornflakes, bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes and the top layer of bread will brown.
- Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Serve with honey, maple syrup or powdered sugar.
when you make this recipe, let us know!Mention @TheDelicious or tag #thedeliciousmademedoit!
Notes
Leftover French Toast Casserole can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.
To freeze leftovers, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in freezer for up to 1 month.