French Toast | 20something cupcakes

Who doesn’t love a French toast casserole?

Blueberry-Mascarpone {Overnight} French Toast Bake

I know I don’t need to tell you why. I mean, do people seriously still make French toast the old-school way, slice by slice in a skillet? That’s not so bad if you’re cooking for one or two people, but when you’re feeding a crowd – it just ain’t gonna cut it.

Enter the French toast casserole. Better yet, enter the overnight French toast casserole.

Oh, yes. It’s a party – literally. It feeds a party, it’s a party of flavor in your mouth … the whole bit. Overnight means you don’t have to do any work the day you plan to serve it. Of course, I offer up a super-quick blueberry sauce for you to whip up while it bakes in the oven, but it’s so easy, it practically makes itself.

Blueberry-Mascarpone {Overnight} French Toast Bake

This is not your ordinary French toast casserole. It starts with a loaf of Challah or Brioche – the way any decent French toast does. Then, there are blueberries … lots of ‘em, between the bake and the sauce. Next, is the orange: The zest of an orange in the casserole, and then reinforced by way of Grand Marnier in the sauce. A ton of almond flavor makes an appearance, in the form of almond extract (obsessed) and then a layer of sliced almonds covered in brown sugar for a crunchy topping.

Do you already have a recipe for french toast casserole that you can’t live without?

Good. Go get it.

Now, throw it away. Delete it from your computer, get rid of that bookmark, or – if you’re still doing it the old-school way with paper or recipe cards – toss it right in the trash. You can live without that recipe. You know why? Because this recipe eats that recipe – for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When I learned we were doing a Wild Card this Sunday for Project Pastry Queen, I was excited. The chance to go back and pick any of the recipes we’ve missed out on along the way meant this was the perfect time to share this french toast with you. I made it for brunch on Christmas Day, and with one crunchy, creamy, sinfully rich bite, we all quickly realized that this french toast went where no other had gone before. The recipe that Daniel’s mom, Meg, had been using for years was – pun intended – toast, and so was the old Paula Deen version I’d been serving up ever since I found my way into the kitchen just a few short years ago.

You may think you’re eating dessert, and you may be right – I haven’t decided. This french toast-pseudo-bread-pudding tastes good enough to be served as that final sweet bite to end a great meal, yet it’s simply phenomenal when served for a special breakfast or brunch. The crunch of the caramelized sugar topping combined with the sweet, luscious custard in the center makes for what’s guaranteed to be the most perfect french toast you’ve ever tasted. The Challah bread no doubt plays an important role, and I think it would be equally fabulous with a touch of Grand Marnier added to the custard. I love that it can also be made in a springform pan (which you can see when you click the link below), which looks so much prettier than your standard casserole pyrex. And, as is the great part of most french toast casseroles, it can be assembled the night before, making it perfect for entertaining.

Click here for the recipe. Trust. You won’t miss your old recipe one bit.