Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole

So this is another one of Paula Deen's outstanding breakfast recipes. My family usually inhales this dish, so I know yours will love it too.

Baked French Toast Casserole

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)

8 large eggs

2 cups half and half

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash salt

Praline topping, recipe follows

1. Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1 inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs.) Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 X 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly.
3. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices.
4. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
5. The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Praline Topping

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Notes:

I generally cube the bread rather than cutting it into slices. I find that this helps get the milk-egg mixture into the nooks and crannies that it's supposed to go into. However, I have made it both ways, as shown above. Both achieve delicious results.

For this particular go round, rather than using French bread, I used Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl bread and it turned out really yummy. As with preparing any French toast, I let the bread for the recipe get slightly stale before using it, although that is not specified in the original recipe.

I generally put the Praline Topping on the Baked French Toast Casserole the night before and cover and refrigerate the entire dish. I have had no problems with this method.

If you do not care for nutmeg, you will likely think that this is a very nutmeggy recipe. (Between the Casserole and the Topping, there is one full teaspoon, and you can taste it.) You may need to adjust accordingly.

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Update:

This recipe has been featured on FaithTap.com. How exciting!