Baked French Toast Casserole is the Best Make-Ahead Brunch | Today's Special 

I love the recipe, but watching it just once, I already came up with three things to improve the procedure. 1) brush the butter on the bread, THEN add the sugar/spice mixture between layers. 2) whisk the eggs together in the glass measuring cup, THEN add the milk and stir. That way you don't risk slopping the milk or having giant globs of unmixed yolks. 3) I'd add 1/4 of the egg and milk mixture onto each layer of bread as it is put down. Then add the remaining half on top and pressing it down to make sure the top has soaked in enough. Can't wait to try it!

Recipe: • ¾ c brown sugar • 1 T cinnamon • ½ T nutmeg • 1/8 t salt • 18 slices Martin’s potato bread (potato bread is crucial) • ~4 T melted butter • 2.5 c whole milk • 6 eggs • ~3 T confectioners sugar • Maple syrup 1. Preheat oven to 350 F 2. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish. 3. Combine spice mixture (brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt) 4. Add 3 T spice mixture onto dish and spread around. 5. Place 6 slices of bread in a single layer in the dish. 6. Add 3 T spice mixture. 7. Brush with 1 T melted butter. 8. Continue to add 3 T spice mixture, 6 slices of bread and 1 T butter in layers. Just use butter on the top layer for now, but save 1 more round of spice mixture. 9. Stir custard together to blend. 10. Pour custard over the bread slowly. 11. (Optional) Cover and place in fridge if making ahead. 12. Sprinkle remaining spice mixture on top. 13. Place in middle oven rack for 30 mins until slightly puffed. 14. Brush last bit of butter on top. 15. Let it sit for 15 mins to cool. 16. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. 17. Serve and top with maple syrup.

I'm making this Saturday. Getting sick on Sunday, sending every body out of the house. And eating all of it myself. This will be my fall vacation.

I be adding bourbon and vanilla!

This would go perfectly with fresh grilled breakfast sausages, fresh squeezed orange juice and some hot coffee!

Anyone else wondering were the vanilla is?

Made this recipe Xmas morning a couple years ago. Yes, it is as good as it looks!

I usually don't like French Toast but this looks amazing! My mouth s watering!

I love this recipe…I have made it three times.. my daughters favorite !!! My whole family loves it!!! Thank you for sharing this with us… it truly is absolutely delicious!! 💕🌸💕🌷❤️❤️

This recipes makes me want to plan a family brunch! A single person can also eat one portion of this six days in a row also.

Don't let the specific bread choice fool you -- I used a 2-day old loaf of my homemade white bread and it turned out perfect! I also added a tablespoon of my homemade vanilla to the custard, some chopped pecans in between the layers instead of almonds on top, stuck it in the fridge overnight and cooked the next morning -- it was scrumptious. (And if you have bits and pieces of mixed bread left in the pantry, use it! Just eyeball that it adds up to about a loaf. You can even chop it into large cubes instead of slices. As long as it cooks through the middle, you really can't go wrong.)

Okay, BUT ... you're telling me you work for America's Test Kitchen, and can't figure out how to decrease the ingredients by 10 % to avoid buying another loaf of bread? Ask Jack.

I think I'll try this, but I plan on adding some vanilla to the egg mixture.

I made it this morning for a friend for our breakfast. It was over the top delicious!!! 😋

I love her recipes. My husband loves her recipes, and my work husband loves her recipes. Thanks Ash. 😉

I had a "Twilight French Toast (Baked French Bread Soaked in CRÈME BRULEE SAUCE, fresh berries and raspberry melba) at a restaurant called "Anna's house" in Grand haven MI two weeks ago. 6 of us found it absolutely outstanding. You should try and replicate it on cook's country. Their lemon "Poppy seed crepes are outstanding as well.

Who doesn’t love a good brunch! I’m a big fan. I am actually planning one for this weekend and I think I’m gonna try out this recipe. I just love learning from talented creators like you. Your channel has so much to offer. I make cooking videos too.

1:02 My dream is to be the inventor of a tablespoon measure that fits into the mouth of a supermarket spice jar. I fear I will never realize this dream.

One of the absolute best cooks dad America’s test kitchen has issue! In the ideas you come up with a doable and enjoyable

Made this for Thanksgiving (Canadian) brunch… it was super yummy and not complicated… for sure, as you said, not time consuming at all!

Brush the bread with butter first before putting the sugar on. Also don’t crack your egg on the edge of any surface. Always on a flat table. The outside of the shell is the dirtiest part!

This looks to be the kind of French Toast I enjoy, not soggy with custard and with a crusty top, edges. Looking forward to trying it!

The dry layers in the middle look almost more akin to a cinnamon roll than French toast. I'd probably pour some of the egg custard as I'm building the layers rather than just pouring it on top or do something for a little more moisture, but that's just me. For the holidays it would be good with orange zest and vanilla.

Once I see Martin’s potato bread, I KNOW that recipe is YUMMY!!! That is my FAVORITE bread!!! Sadly, I can’t eat the treat being made: health issues; but it certainly looks lovely!

I was worried it would be too dry but it was deliciously! Took it to the church ladies breakfast and was gone! The other French toast casseroles were too soggy but they were good too! It all depends how you like it!

I am going to make this for Christmas breakfast.... Stunning French toast recipe

This French toast casserole looks scrumptious and zI think I’ lol try it. Thank you Ashley. 😌

Grind fresh cinnamon sticks in your spice grinder. Micro plane fresh nutmeg. The flavor is “POW”

This one looks awesome. It'll be my first French toast casserole. Thank you!

Great JoB!!

So... bread pudding, without tearing the bread? P.S. JustEgg, the Vegan substitute, will work perfectly with this. Or just sub in Soymilk. And a hearty multigrain bread, much healthier than potato bread, works as well. Vegan butter exists as well. Nobody needs the powdered sugar. Just add the real maple syrup to the custard.

OMG, EPIC!!! Perfect holiday brunch recipe!! Thanks!!!😍👑💞

Breakfast for dinner.

This looks a bit dry? I like my French toast wet/under cooked? Thanks for sharing your talent!

Pecans would be yummy too!

Made it, loved it! Soooo good! My favorite breakfast!!

I had some old hotdog/hamburger buns; made a custard, baked them in a casserole dish like this - turned out so yummy! Pain perdu, Fr.

"Sprinkle over the top, because it's over the top". Very nice, Ashley 😅

i'll make it all vegan; looks sooo good.

Oh, so definitely will try this.

Dear Miss Ashley M. Thank you for share this enriched and delicious recipe.

why not brush butter then sugar or spice then drizzle butter. this video could be half as long.

I want to add some bananas

French toast casserole by any other name or recipe variation is basically bread pudding right🤔?

I am making this for Christmas brunch, but was unable to find potato bread. Instead, I am using day old texas toast. Hoping and praying it doesn't turn out soggy🙏😬 Merry Christmas and blessings from Massachusetts 🌲🌲🌲🌲

We need a video on how to store cheese

Mmmm, sticky buns AND french toast? Happy morning to you!! 😋

I need to try this! Looks amazing!

Made this today, it came out great, thank You! Merry Christmas to everyone! 😁🎄🎁🎁🎁

I wonder if stale bread would keep other breads from disintegrating? I love using Challah for French Toast and I put it out a day or two prior to using it so it will get stale.

Good job testing without syrup first. I hate it when people immediately drench their food with the sauce or syrup before tasting it bare.

More Ashley, please!

No vanilla extract?

Thank you for taking the time to add actual captions for the Deaf

Okay, this will happen Friday night. We are planning IHoP @ home night. Thanks!

Dark brown sugar right now which I was going to buy and put away for my holiday baking is upwards of $10 per pound Plus! Regular brown sugar is not as costly but it would be cheaper for me to buy molasses and make my own dark brown sugar which is what I plan on doing and it's a good thing I'm from Maine where we know how to do that. I don't need to look up a recipe! :-)

Looks amazing! Can’t wait to make this! Thank you for sharing 😀

I have always been turned off to casseroles like this because there has been way too much egg or too much bread without enough custard. So what landed on my plate just wasn't all that appealing. But as I have often told myself over the years, if anybody can make it right, it's 80k. I am definitely going to give this a try the next time we have company to feed for breakfast. Thanks for putting this up.

It looks a little dry, for me. I love the idea, though, and thanks for sharing it. I might add 50% more of the liquid mixture.

So, i make a cannoli creme with fresh ricotta and spread it between tge layers, and call it French Toast Lasagne. Always a big hit...

"And I'm going to make a custard that will absolutely blow your mind." By all means, do! It's been far too long since my mind's been blown by a custard....

Hi Ashley, I absolutely love watching you on ATK, you’re such a joyful person! I like the idea of “Make - Ahead” meals especially, when I have company a.k.a. my Grandkids... Every member of my family dislikes Martin’s Potato Bread. What can l say? I prefer making my French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread. You’re absolutely right though usually Challah Bread will disintegrate if you try to make it into a casserole! However, I fix that problem over 35 years ago... I place all the sliced Challah Bread on sheet-pans and slightly toast them first. (Or you can sliced it and leave it on the counter for 12 hours, so it’s slightly stale.) Unfortunately, you can’t make my recipe the night before. It’s definitely a make and bake immediately kinda recipe! But, that’s alright because, I’m usually up 2 to 3 hours ahead of everyone else anyway. Setting the table and frying several pounds of Bacon! P.S. I have to hide the bacon from everybody until, we’re sitting at the table... It just disappears sometimes faster than I can fry it up! 🤫 👵🏻🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓

Interesting! I've always known this in the UK as Bread Pudding.

This looks phenomenal

I must try this!

Yum!!

1/3 cup brown sugar Cinnamon Nutmeg 1/8 tsp Salt 18 slides of Potato bread Butter 2 1/2 cups milk 6 eggs 350° for 30 minutes

I would have had to slather that with butter before digging in...

Heavens to Murgatroyd that looks good!

Why would you use the heels? You have two whole loaves.

Thank you for a new breakfast Idea :) I love that you can make it ahead of time :)

4:01 she cracks an egg into the bowl, and doesn’t even look to see if any egg shell fell in. Gave me anxiety, but she’s a pro.

I would definitely use more custard filling. 🤔

I dont know how you all dont weigh 300 lbs over there. I have always loved your program and recipes, but cant watch them as I want to make them all. And yet, here I am, cant help myself, french toast, here I come!

Looks good, but I’ll skip the confectioner’s sugar. No need for so much sweet

YES!!!

Did anyone get the measurement for the cinnamon and the nutmeg? I'm thinking it looked like 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon nutmeg?

Over the top 😆

I have two comments: 1 good 1 Not as good Good comment: I love this recipe- It’s sweet without being too sweet Without doing anything to it Yet Maple Syrup, Fruit Syrup or even the Butter syrup commonly sold today ALL enhance it. . . A light sprinkling of fruit. . . We like strawberries and blueberries. . . Or even a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Close to perfect flavor wise. Not so Good Comment: I am 75 and have developed an eating disorder. If I snack on the tiniest bit of dinner before It is served-I lose my appetite completely. This recipe is made in piles of 3 pieces of bread And it is just too much for me. If my SIL is making French Toast for Sunday. . . (Which he is excellent at) The most I can eat is one piece And this recipe-as delicious as it is- Provides too much bread. I usually cut a pile in half and then eat on the stairs And sneak the leftover from my 1/2 serving to our dogs.I’m going to see tonight if I can just tear The bread into the pieces so many other recipes Call for but use the remainder of the ingredients To see how well they cook up. Nonetheless. . .i love the original recipe that She created.

Can the bread be cubed in place of whole slices. I am making one for Church.

No vanilla?

I agree this is just bread pudding, sadly it’s not my favorite

Tried the recipe link, but it's asking me to log in??

I tried this recipe for a brunch potluck, and it came out soggier than in the video; it was about the texture of flan. It was still delicious, but I was hoping for something closer to what is seen in the video and pictures.

I was thinking I could make this when my kids come home but.....I realized I caught my oven on fire! So sad 😢

My God.... That looks just amazing!!! Thank you guys so much for making us part of your kitchens. What an honor...

I'm not going to lie this is a very lovely recipe ✨💛💙💛✨💘

why didn’t you put vanilla in the custard?

Ashley is adorable. Always makes me think of Frieda from Peanuts. "Naturally curly hair."

Next time please try cobbler

From the amount of comments here stating that vanilla needs to be added, I don't know that I'd take this channel seriously. Who doesn't use vanilla in their French toast? 🤔

Recipe is behind a paywall

Great

What is the brand of potato bread? I never see that at my grocery store.

Can I make this 48 hours ahead? I'm picking up a friend at the airport and then staying overnight.

No vanilla extract??

Je suis toujours envie French Toast. J'ai mangé tout les jours. C'est vraiment Délicieux. 😍👉👌👍🙏😋

i watched this

AKA bread pudding

+dark rum