This is my go-to meal for special occasions. I even made it for Christmas morning this year. It's a simple and straight forward recipe that needs to be prepared the night before. Perfect for taking stress out of getting breakfast on the table in the morning. The original recipe doesn't call for it, but I make mine with vanilla beans. Like I've said before, vanilla beans take everything over the top! I will never have a spice cabinet that doesn't contain vanilla beans again!
After baking in the oven, it gets all fluffy from the eggs and the bread on the outside gets a nice crisp<--- my favorite part!
Adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups milk or half & half
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- beans from 1/2 vanilla bean pod (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- TOPPING:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Maple syrup, optional
Directions
- Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
- Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired.