A couple of weeks ago I was offered a free loaf of cinnamon-swirl bread at the grocery store–with no immediate uses for it in mind, I threw it in the freezer to save for the next time we had weekend company. A perfect base for either regular slices of French toast, cubed and added into a creamy custard base for bread pudding, or cubed and baked into a yummy breakfast casserole like this one, this bread was divine and will be bought again…I guarantee it!
This casserole was a big hit with both Scott and I, and our weekend house guests. Served alongside savory sausage patties, I tossed the cinnamon bread cubes with chopped pecans, a sweet vanilla and orange-scented custard, and finished it off in the last few minutes of baking with fresh blueberries. The casserole puffs ups beautifully in the hot oven and is perfectly sweet, custardy and moist. I had a bottle of maple syrup ready on the table for serving, but no one even added a drop to the casserole–it was already flavored to perfection.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Baked Cinnamon-Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Ingredients:
- (1) loaf (12 slices) of cinnamon swirl bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange liqueur
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole pan with olive oil spray. Arrange the cubed bread in the sprayed pan.
- Make the custard by whisking the eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla, orange liqueur and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the bread cubes in the casserole pan; bake on the center rack in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Take the casserole from the oven and top it evenly with the (washed) fresh blueberries and the pecans. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the casserole is puffed and golden brown and set in the middle.
- Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes to cool. Slice into squares and serve warm.
Tagged: baked french toast, blueberries, breakfast casserole, buttermilk, casserole, cinnamon and berry french toast, cinnamon swirl bread, custard, eggs, french toast, french toast casserole, fresh blueberries, Gran Marnier, half and half, orange liqueur, pecans, vanilla extract
Leave a Reply