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This Cranberry Cinnamon French Toast Baked Casserole is perfect for the holiday season. It can be prepared the night before for an easy morning breakfast, allowing for more time to spend with your family.
When I think of the holiday season, I am flooded with memories and happy times with family, especially my grandma. She passed away a few months ago, so the memories are more emotional than ever right now.
As a child, I spent a lot of time at my grandma’s house. I remember helping her with the huge vegetable garden in the backyard, canning in the fall, and watching her work her magic in the kitchen. There was always some sort of goodies being made no matter what day of the week it was.
During the holidays, she would make homemade pudding, pies, chicken and dumplings, and all the side dishes you can think of. She was the queen of comfort foods. We would frequently go to the family farm for fresh eggs and milk. Whenever I think of comfort foods these days, the first thing that comes to mind is homemade meals with those fresh dairy products.
Dairy is vital in fueling our current health and wellness needs. Dairy also provides a powerful nutrient package with vitamin A, vitamin D, and protein– all essentials for healthy immune function. Fun fact- Dairy is linked to more health benefits like reduced inflammation and improved digestive health!
As I continue to reminisce about all the memories in the kitchen with grandma and visiting the farm, I now focus on creating new memories with my family. We spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. It is definitely the heart of our home on any given day, not just through holidays.
We keep a stocked kitchen of essentials for baking and cooking comfort foods, which includes a gallon or two of milk at all times. Even when I do my ‘Drive-Up’ Target orders, I include a gallon of milk to make sure we never run out.
Breakfast is one of our favorite weekend meals to make together as a family. With all the extra baking and meals that go into entertaining during the holidays, make-ahead breakfasts are essential. A personal comfort-food-favorite made with whole milk comes to mind, and we put a little holiday twist on it with the addition of cranberries: Cranberry Cinnamon French Toast Baked Casserole.
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Cranberry Cinnamon French Toast Casserole Recipe
Prepare this french toast casserole recipe the night before, allowing for more family time the next morning! You can even double the recipe to feed a larger crowd when you have family over for the holidays.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 loaf, french bread, cut into 1-2″ cubes
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup dried cranberries, divided 3/4 cup & 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- Glaze – 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar in a casserole dish. Evenly flatten the mixture and top with 3/4 cup of dried cranberries.
Add the diced bread pieces to the baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
Slowly pour the mixture over the bread pieces.
Use a spatula to press down the bread to make sure all of the bread soaks up the liquid mixture.
Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. If you want to make it right away, let it refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes, allowing the bread to soak up the liquid completely.
Pre-heat oven to 375ºF. Bake for 30 minutes, still covered. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 30-40 more minutes, until browned.
Meanwhile, whisk the 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to make the glaze.
Drizzle the glaze over the baked casserole.
Top with the last 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm.
French toast casserole is the ultimate breakfast comfort food and brings back fond memories of my grandma. I hope my kids will remember our times in the kitchen, making our favorite foods with our favorite ingredients, such as milk. And one day, in the distant future, they will pass those memories along to their families.
Cranberry Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
This Cranberry Cinnamon French Toast Baked Casserole is perfect for the holiday season. It can be prepared the night before for an easy morning breakfast, allowing for more time to spend with your family.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 loaf, french bread, cut into 1-2" cubes
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup dried cranberries, divided 3/4 cup & 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- Glaze - 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar in a casserole dish. Evenly flatten the mixture and top with 3/4 cup of dried cranberries.
- Add the diced bread pieces to the baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
- Slowly pour the mixture over the bread pieces.
- Use a spatula to press down the bread to make sure all of the bread soaks up the liquid mixture.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. If you want to make it right away, let it refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes, allowing the bread to soak up the liquid completely.
- Pre-heat oven to 375ºF. Bake for 30 minutes, still covered. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 30-40 more minutes, until browned.
- Meanwhile, whisk the 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to make the glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over the baked casserole.
- Top with the last 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm.