Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Now that the first wave of the holiday baking is finished and all of the holiday gift boxes have been sent out, my attention has shifted to savory foods. One can live on cookies and confections for only so long. As hard as even I find it to believe, I am getting dangerously close to my holiday sweets consumption limit. This largely may be due to all of the taste-testing done during three non-stop days of baking. Other than taking time for a little bit of sleep, a Saturday morning long run, and going to an event Saturday night, I spent all of my waking hours in the kitchen. My holiday baking list happened to be a little on the over-ambitious side. Because there is no such thing as scaling back for this over-achieving, someone having astrologically cursed perfectionist tendencies, glutton for punishment girl! Do you detect a teeny bit of a whining undertone here? Okay, maybe just an iota. However, I wouldn't push myself to the edge if I wasn't experiencing a relatively high level of satisfaction from it all. And besides, it's the holidays. Aka the homemade love time of year.

If you are having family and/or friends staying over or visiting for the holidays, more than likely you will be making a meal or two. If one of those meals happens to breakfast or brunch, nothing is easier to make and more impressive to serve than a breakfast casserole. Made the night before and baked in the morning, they makes breakfast/brunch seem almost effortless.

Breakfast casseroles fall into two broad categories: Egg-based and Bread-based. This Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is a cinnamon raisin swirl bread based one. If a custard mixture poured over thick slices of the cinnamon swirl raisin bread isn't enough to get your attention, how does the addition of thinly sliced apples and cubes of cream cheese sound?

 Would you be in with a finishing drizzle of warm maple syrup?

One of the keys to making the most epic version of this Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is the quality of the cinnamon-swirl raisin bread. Save the pre-sliced loaves of cinnamon raisin bread for toast For this breakfast casserole, go to your favorite bakery, or to the bakery section of your favorite grocery store, or to any store that sells dense, whole loaves of bread. You want to be able to cut the bread into thick slices.

The custard for the casserole is made with half-and-half, whole milk, confectionary sugar, vanilla, kosher salt, and eight large eggs. 

Some breakfast casseroles call for cutting the bread into cubes. But this one calls for thick (approximately 3/4") slices. You should be able to get 12-14 slices from a one pound loaf of the cinnamon swirl raisin bread. Cut all of the slices in half so you end up with 24-28 pieces of bread.

The peeled and cored apples should be thinly sliced and then tossed into half of a cinnamon sugar mixture. The coating on the apples not only adds flavor, it helps them retain their color. I used Granny Smith apples, but you could also use Honey Crisp apples.

Starting with a lightly buttered 9"x12" (or 9" x 13") casserole dish, place two thirds of the bread slices in two rows. You should be able to slightly over lap the slices. On top of the rows of bread, scatter two-thirds of the sliced apples and one half of the cream cheese cubes are as evenly as possible. Lay the remaining slices of the bread over the apple/cream cheese layer. Then top with the remaining apples and cream cheese cubes. Pour the custard mixture over the casserole, then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish, then press down just enough to help the custard infuse itself into all of the bread slices. Wrap the edges of the foil around the pan and refrigerate overnight. Sit back, relax, and the let magic begin.

Take the casserole dish out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before putting on a baking tray,. Uncover and bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) for 70-80 minutes. The Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is done when the top is golden brown, the sides have puffed up, and a knife inserted in the center comes out 'clean'. Clean in this case means the baked custard is not drippy or liquidy on the knife. 

Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. 

To describe this Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole as insanely scrumptious, drop the mic delicious, or epic doesn't even begin to do it justice. So I will simply say it is destined to be a 'huge hit' with your family and friends. It might even turn out to be one of your mosts requested breakfast casseroles!

A generous drizzle of maple syrup over wedges of the casserole is the most perfect finishing touch. The top of the casserole is a little bit crunchy, the inside layers are rich and custardy, the flavor of cinnamon compliments the tart apples and cream cheese pillows, and the sweetness of the maple syrup makes this the most heavenly of all breakfast casseroles.

What better way to cap off the holidays or to indulge in your overnight guests than with this slightly rich, little bit rustic Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole. To round out your breakfast or brunch menu serve the casserole with some crispy bacon or sausages, freshly brewed coffee, and maybe some orange juice or fresh fruit. The casserole reheats beautifully in the microwave. Which means if you have any leftovers, you don't have to even think about what to serve for dinner. Enjoy!

Recipe
Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Serves 8-10

Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Casserole
16-18 ounce loaf of a good quality cinnamon-swirl bread, thickly sliced (Cut slices in half)
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons confectionary sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large apples (I used Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Cut slices in half)
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into half-inch cubes
1-2 Tablespoons of butter
Real Maple Syrup

Directions
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Divide in half. 

Casserole
1. In a medium sized bowl, add in the sliced apples. Pour half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples. Toss to coat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk the eggs until loosely mixed. Add in the confectionary sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, half and half, and milk. Whisk until well combined.
3. Generously butter a 9"x13" (or equivalent) ovenproof casserole dish.
4. Using approximately 2/3 of the bread slices, layer them in two rows, overlapping the slices in each row slightly.
5. Sprinkle 2/3 of the apples over the bread. Note: Do not pour any of the liquid from the apples into the casserole.
6. Sprinkle half of the cream cheese cubes over the apples.
7. Layer the remaining bread slices on top.
8. Sprinkle remaining sliced apples and cream cheese cubes over the bread.
9. Pour the egg/milk (custard) mixture over the casserole.
10. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top.
11. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the baking dish. Press the foil down into the casserole. Wrap the edges of the foil over the baking dish. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Take the casserole out of the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before you preheat the oven.
13. Place the casserole dish on a large baking sheet. Remove the foil. 
14. Bake for 70-80 minutes or until casserole is puffed and medium golden brown. Note: Begin checking for doneness at 60 minutes.
15. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
16. Serve with slightly warm maple syrup. Enjoy!

Note: (1) The Cinnamon Swirl Bread from Panera Bread was used to make this Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole. (2) Instead of using Granny Smith apples could use Honey Crisp. (3) The casserole reheats beautifully in the microwave. Cut into squares before placing in the microwave.

Christmas in bloom at the Wilder Park Conservatory in Elmhurst, Illinois (December 2018)