In the craziness that is to follow in the upcoming next week, we want to take a moment and say, remember to pause. For many of you, it’s your first Christmas and New Years in your new home. Enjoy! And allow us to make this Christmas morning a little easier with a staple Christmas morning recipe in our house…Overnight French Toast. I love it because I prep the night before and as the kids are opening gifts, I slide it into the oven. It bakes while we do presents and makes the house smell amazing. Then it’s done and there’s no cooking Christmas morning!
Overnight French Toast
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
10 slices of thick-cut french bread
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped (optional)
maple syrup and/or powdered sugar for topping (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Pour on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish, overlapping if necessary.
Combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices.
Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.
Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
In the morning, take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and let sit on the counter for at least 10 minutes – while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. If the top starts browning too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pan for the last 10 minutes or so.
You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked, but don’t dry it out completely.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Serve with maple syrup and/or powdered sugar, if desired.