Baked Cinnamon Pecan French Toast

This is another great make ahead breakfast that's good enough for a special occasion. I made it for a brunch and it was devoured. I love any recipe that can be prepared in advance and baked just before it's served. I doubled it without any problem at all. Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 loaf day old sourdough or French bread
  •         8 eggs
  •         2 C milk
  •         1/2 C whipping cream
  •         1/2 C sugar
  •         1/2 C dark brown sugar
  •         2 TBL vanilla 
  •         pinch of salt

Topping

  •         1/2 C flour
  •         1/2 C dark brown sugar, packed
  •         1 tsp cinnamon
  •         1/4 tsp Salt
  •         1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
  •         1 stick cold butter
  •         1 C chopped pecans

 

Start by tearing the bread into chunks and putting the chunks into a greased casserole dish.

In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, and whipping cream and beat until well combined.

Add the sugars, vanilla, and salt and mix well.

Pour this mixture over the bread chunks, pressing the bread down and making sure that all the bread gets covered with the liquid. Cover and refrigerate over night.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg until combined.

Cut the cold butter into cubes and mix it into the flour mixture, until it’s a coarse, crumbly mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

Add the chopped pecans and mix. Cover and refrigerate.

Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Sprinkle the topping to cover the bread mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. 

Serve with maple syrup and berries.

I think they like it!

Enjoy!

Lynn

Baked French Toast

  •  1 loaf day old sourdough or French bread
  •         8 eggs
  •         2 C milk
  •         1/2 C whipping cream
  •         1/2 C sugar
  •         1/2 C dark brown sugar
  •         2 TBL vanilla 
  •         pinch of salt
  •         

Topping

  •         1/2 C flour
  •         1/2 C dark brown sugar, packed
  •         1 tsp cinnamon
  •         1/4 tsp Salt
  •         1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
  •         1 stick cold butter
  •         1 C chopped pecans

Start by tearing the bread into chunks and putting the chunks into a greased casserole dish.

In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, and whipping cream and beat until well combined. Add the sugars, vanilla, and salt and mix well. Pour this mixture over the bread chunks, pressing the bread down and making sure that all the bread gets covered with the liquid. Cover and refrigerate over night.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg until combined. Cut the cold butter into cubes and mix it into the flour mixture, until it’s a coarse, crumbly mixture. Add the chopped pecans and mix. Cover and refrigerate.

Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Sprinkle the topping to cover the bread mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. 

Serve with maple syrup and berries.

 

Sausage Bread

Sausage bread is a must have around here for Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings. We first had sausage bread when my brother married my sister-in-law. It was something she grew up eating, so she made it the first holiday she spent with us. Her connection to her family tradition was quickly adopted into our family and has become our tradition as well. I love how that happens! One of the best things about sausage bread, other than the fact that it's delicious, is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it. Then all you have to do is thaw it and heat it up to serve it. That means one less thing to make on those crazy holiday mornings. It's also super easy to make. The original recipe calls for Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix, but you can also use frozen bread dough. It's delicious either way. My only warning to you is that once you make this, your family will want it every holiday. Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 pkg Hot Roll Mix
  • 1 lb. Mild bulk sausage
  • 1 lb. Hot bulk sausage
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • ½ C Parmesan cheese, grated

Start by making the dough according to the directions on the package. Be sure you get the separate yeast package out of the box and add it in or your dough won't rise. Don't ask me how I know that...

If you are using frozen dough, thaw the dough so that you can roll it out.

Cook both kinds of sausage together in a skillet until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease and set aside.

Take half the dough and roll it into a rectangle slightly smaller that a cookie sheet. If you are using frozen dough, roll out one loaf. The dough mix is usually sticky, so sprinkle a little extra flour on your surface first to make it easier to roll out.

Now take half of the cooked sausage and sprinkle it on the rolled out dough. Leave about a half inch or so around the edges.

Now sprinkle on half of the chopped green onions.

Now half of the grated Parmesan.

Starting on the long edge farthest away from you, roll the dough towards you, over the sausage, onions, and cheese. Keep rolling until you get to the opposite long edge.

When you get to the opposite dough edge, pinch the seams together along the ends and the edge to close everything. If it doesn't stick, just wet your fingers with a little water when you are pinching the dough and it should stick together.

Transfer the roll onto a parchment covered cookie sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients so that you have 2 loaves.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the dough has turned a golden brown. Remove from the oven and slice and serve. If you are making this ahead of time, cool the loaves then wrap in aluminum foil and freeze, then thaw and reheat to serve.

We serve this sausage bread with cheese grits and Blueberry Biscuit Coffee Cake and it's all delicious!

Sausage Bread

  • 1 pkg Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix
  • 1 lb. Mild bulk sausage
  • 1 lb. Hot bulk sausage
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • ½ C Parmesan cheese, grated

Prepare roll mix according to package directions. Cook sausage and drain. Roll out ½ of dough into a rectangle slightly smaller than the size of a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle cooked sausage, chopped green onions and parmesan over dough, leaving 1/2” around the edges. Roll dough up and pinch edges to seal.  Bake at 350 degrees until brown.

Enjoy!

Lynn