Comfort food for a breakfast crowd!
French Toast is real comfort food. I have memories of my grandpa making it for us for breakfast when I was a kid. He put black pepper in his, and I still do too.
Making it for a crowd is a little harder. One person is enjoying theirs, while someone else is hungrily watching! That why a Pecan French Toast Bake is a game-changer -- breakfast for a crowd made easy! And you can make it ahead, unlike a lot of breakfast dishes.
"Breakfast for a crowd made easy!"
We had invited 10 people over to watch a Premier League soccer game at 9 a.m. on a Saturday – a few neighbors, friends and family. And I wanted to actually see some of the game and not be cooking the whole time.
That’s when I decided to make my Pecan French Toast Bake – a cross between French Toast and Bread Pudding rolled into one dish. I made it the night before and readied the coffee pot.
The next morning, I microwaved a pound of sliced bacon in a pie plate. (It comes out crunchy with no mess.) And put some sausages on a cookie sheet to cook for 20 minutes. And chopped some fruit.
I put two recipes of my Pecan French Toast Bake in the oven before the game started so the house was filled with cinnamon when everyone walked in. It made cooking breakfast for a crowd so easy!
This recipe is made with lots of warm spices, pecans, vanilla and orange zest to give it plenty of flavor. Brioche or challah bread is great because they are sturdy and soak up the flavors. If you can’t find a loaf of brioche or challah bread, you can easily substitute sourdough which will give it a nice zing in contrast to the sweetness. Even day-old torn up croissants will work in this.
Pecan French Toast Bake gives you more time to enjoy guests while they marvel at your culinary skills!
If you want to serve a hearty egg dish for breakfast, try our frittata.
Pecan French Toast Bake
Recipe Ingredients
1 one-pound (16 oz.) loaf of challah, brioche (or even sourdough) bread cut in 1 inch cubes
1 stick butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c pecans (toasted)
1 orange (zest only); set aside juice for later
2 t almond extract
1 T vanilla
2 T cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice
½ t nutmeg
½ t salt
Dash pepper
2 c whole milk
1 c whipping cream
9 eggs
To serve on the side for optional toppings:
Maple Syrup
Orange juice (squeezed from orange used for zest above)
Cinnamon
Blueberries
Preparation Instructions
1. Use the butter wrapper to grease a 9X12 casserole pan.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stove or in a bowl or large measuring cup in the microwave.
3. After it’s melted, add the brown sugar and mix to dissolve the sugar slightly.
4. Pour about 1/3 in the bottom of the casserole dish.
5. Take a pastry brush and spread it all around
6. On a cutting board with a bread knife, cut bread in 1-inch cubes
7. Add bread cubes to the casserole dish.
8. Sprinkle the toasted pecans through the bread pieces.
9. Drizzle on about 1/3 of the butter/sugar mixture so it can absorb into the bread
10. In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them slightly with a fork or whisk.
11. Add the cream, spices, salt, pepper, extracts and orange zest.
12. Pour over the bread mixture in the casserole dish.
13. Mash down some of the bread to make sure it can absorb the liquid.
14. Drizzle the final 1/3 of the brown sugar/butter mixture over the top.
15. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or at least 1-2 hours to let the bread absorb the liquid.
16. Then put on the middle rack of a cold oven and turn the oven on to 350 degrees. (If you have a convection oven, use that to make the bread a little drier and browner.)
17. Bake about 50 minutes until liquid mixture is set and absorbed.
Makes enough to feed 8-10.
Serving options
1. Cut into casserole into squares.
2. Then let people customize their own with toppings – a splash of orange juice, a drizzle of maple syrup, a handful of blueberries, extra cinnamon.
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