Blueberry Cream Overnight French Toast Casserole
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This simple, rich & creamy make-ahead breakfast casserole is an absolute showstopper!
My cousin Carey and I decided to cook a massive Mother’s Day brunch this year while I was visiting my family in Indiana. We collaborated on a magnificent menu plan for 20 adults and 10 kids.
This casserole is one of the dishes that we made that day. It was ridiculously decadent and so delicious!
Unfortunately, I ended up getting a 24-hour stomach bug that left me unable to be much any help.
(Shoutout to my hubby for helping with the meal prep while I was… incapacitated.)
I felt alright by Mother’s Day, but I didn’t have much of an appetite to enjoy the fruits of our labor. So once I came back home to New York, I knew I needed a do over, and a slumber party with my friend Jenn was the perfect excuse to splurge!
This casserole is super simple to put together before bed. It sits in the fridge overnight and in the morning, you just pop it into the oven, make a pot of coffee and get ready to indulge!
I ended up cutting the recipe in half, which worked out perfectly for a smaller group of people. I used half a large loaf of Italian bread, and it worked out really well.
My mom ended up having to miss the Mother’s Day brunch gathering, so I’ll have to do yet another do over when she comes to visit me this fall. Drats ;). Here are a few shots of the offerings that she missed out on:
These Brie Waffle Bites were ah-mazing! And oh so pretty! My toddler and Carey’s 11-year-old made the waffles together, and it was one of the cutest things I’ve ever witnessed.
The Granola Cups were a recipe that I had pinned a while back and was really excited to try. They turned out beautifully, and they’re on my menu plan to make again at home soon!
We served them with vanilla yogurt, but they were extra delicious with the Lemon Cream Fruit Dip. That’s another one I’m going to have to make for myself.
Our brunch was a huge success. I got to catch up with a lot of family members that I hadn’t seen in about 2 years. Hopefully we’ll get to do it again soon!
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Blueberry Cream French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (plus refrigeration time)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This simple, rich & creamy make-ahead breakfast casserole is an absolute showstopper!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-20oz.) loaf Italian bread, brioche, or thick-sliced Texas toast or French toast bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries (if using frozen, thaw and drain them)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2–3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of the bread cubes in an even layer in the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer. Drop this mixture by teaspoonfuls evenly over bread.
- In a large bowl, toss together blueberries and flour. Scatter the blueberries over the cream cheese mixture, then top with the remaining bread to cover. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over the top.
- In the bowl used for the blueberries, mix together eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour mixture over the bread, pressing with a spatula or spoon to help the bread soak up the liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake, take the casserole out of the refrigerator and place it on top of a large, rimmed baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Once preheated, bake the casserole until golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 671
- Sugar: 35.8 g
- Sodium: 818.1 mg
- Fat: 25.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 91.2 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 21.3 g
- Cholesterol: 238.4 mg
Keywords: baked french toast, french toast casserole, brunch
Ashley
Ashley Covelli is a food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor based in Ossining, New York. She loves helping people become enthusiastic and adventurous in the kitchen so that they can build skills and confidence to cook for themselves and their loved ones. She can almost always be found with at least 3 different beverages within arm's reach.
4 Comments
Jackie
This looks like a great addition to a brunch!
Becca Heflin
I adore brunch foods that I can make ahead of time and blueberries are one of my favorite summer fruits. I LOVE this, Ash!
Lori H
Well at least I get to see the pics of what I missed! LOL OK, I really don’t want to think about that day any more. I’m sure you can relate!
Joanne (eats well with others)
Oh my gosh, this sounds like so much fun! And your french toast casserole definitely takes the cake for SHEER AWESOMENESS.