Mother's Day brunch part three (recipe): do-ahead blueberry French toast casserole

Photo by pfala

If you’re goal is to impress Mom on Mother’s Day, then this is the recipe to make. Your entire house will smell cinnamon-sweet, and both kids and adults will love it. My friend Jen gave me this recipe after we hosted another friend’s baby shower together, and I was very surprised when she told me how easy this dish was to make. It looks like something straight out of Martha Stewart, but I tried it this Easter, and it really is pretty simple.  It’s just one of those impressive recipes that has the ability to deceive—and in my book anything that makes me look a little bit better is top-notch and an immediate keeper. Serve this casserole with warm maple syrup and get Mom’s day off to a bubbly-yummy start this Mother’s Day.

Main casserole ingredients:

• One loaf Challah bread (I found mine at Panera)
• 9 eggs
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Topping ingredients:

• ½ cup of flour
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 cup (approximately) blueberries (any berry can be substituted)

Directions (night before):

1. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish with shortening or butter.
2. Slice the Challah loaf into slices about ¼” thick.  A little thicker is okay, too.
3. Line the pan with a double layer of the Challah bread.
4. Combine the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well.
5. Pour egg mixture over the bread.
6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Directions (day of):

1. Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter
3. Take the refrigerated casserole out of the fridge, and spread the blueberries over the top.
4. Pat the flour/sugar topping you just made over the berries.
5. Put the casserole (uncovered) into the oven for 55-60 minutes and serve with warm maple syrup.

If you like this, don’t miss parts one (yummy potato bake casserole), two (sausage and egg casserole), and four (honey-lime fruit salad with mint and toasted almonds).

For more info: 

Want to make sure your Mother's Day is fantastic?  Check out my article Mother’s Day in Denver: a dummy-proof guide for Denver dads.