Baked Cinnamon French Toast

There's nothing like waking up, popping a delicious casserole in the oven, and having a sweet treat of a breakfast ready in an hour.  My sweet addition to my Christmas breakfast table was this baked cinnamon french toast.  I've made numerous sweet breakfast casseroles but I think this is probably my favorite to date.  The sweet custard that gets soaked into the Challah bread isn't overpowering and the addition fo the streusel on top is a nice surprise.  Next time I'd add some chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans most likely) to give that added crunch.

Enjoy!

Baked Cinnamon French Toast 
(adapted from Lovin' From The Oven)

1 loaf challah bread, cubed

8 whole eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick cold butter, cubed

Butter a medium sized casserole dish.  Place bread cubes into the buttered casserole dish.  Set aside.  

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and mix until it comes somewhat together, like little pebbles. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

The next morning, take the casserole from the refrigerator and let stand for 30 mins while preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle your casserole with the cinnamon streusel topping. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until firm and cooked through.

Serve warm with maple syrup and butter, if desired.

Spinach and Cheese Strata

Make ahead breakfast casseroles are one of the easiest and most delicious things about Christmas morning in our house.  This year I decided to go with a sweet and a savory option.  the savory casserole came from Smitten Kitchen and it did not disappoint - even my mom, who is pretty anti-spinach, gobbled this right up.  I used a mix of gruyere and smoked fontina but any rich, deeply flavored cheese would work!

Enjoy!

Spinach and Cheese Strata
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

10 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of all excess liquid

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated 

12 oz French baguette, cubed

1 cup of gruyere cheese, shredded
1 cup smoked fontina cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 3/4 cups milk

9 large eggs

2 tablespoons coarse Dijon mustard

Mix gruyere, smoked fontina, and parmesan cheese together.  Set aside.

Sauté shallot in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

Spread half of the bread cubes in a well-buttered medium sized casserole dish. Top with half of the spinach mixture and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.

The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 55 to 65 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.