Recipe: French Toast Casserole

The recipe I'm sharing today, French Toast Casserole, has a special place in my heart. My friend, Ruth Hamilton -- retired Girl Scout guru, cat-lover, scrapbooker extraordinaire, and really great cook -- created this recipe. I've served this it for many brunches and Christmas morning breakfasts. It's also a great for times when you feel like having breakfast for dinner.

Ruth's recipe takes me back to the time when I was a Girl Scout leader. One weekend a few years back, I went to a lodge camping workshop at the same Girl Scout camp I attended as a child. I included a photo of the camp site in my (OLD!) recipe scrapbook (click to enlarge and read more about it):

While at the leader training, we learned how to cook over an open fire and in an indoor fireplace. (Dutch oven cooking can't be beat, BTW!) In addition, we cooked some easy dishes to serve a crowd, including Ruth's French Toast Casserole. Here's her recipe:

French Toast Casserole

1 stick margarine

1 C brown sugar

1 T cinnamon

12 slices Texas toast (I sometimes use only 10)

6 eggs

1.5 C milk

Salt to taste

Melt margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon in bottom of 9 x 13 inch aluminum pan (not glass). Cover with two layers of bread (sliced). Mix eggs, milk and salt. Pour over bread layers. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pan promptly by turning pan upside down.

Note: Leftovers keep well for a couple of days!

Here's what the casserole looks like prior to going into the oven. Assemble it in the evening before you go to bed, then pop it in the oven in the morning. I guarantee that the sweet smell of cinnamon will awaken any sleepyheads! I might add that this is a great recipe to make with kids. Having girls over for a slumber party? Have them mix it up. It's easy and fun to make.

And here's what it looks like when it comes out of the oven! I invert it onto a cookie sheet, then cover it with the pan until ready to serve. As you can see, the brown sugar and butter create a nice gooey topping. No syrup necessary! (HOWEVER, an extra trip to the fitness place might be in order!)

And here it is ready to eat! Because it is so rich, I usually serve it only with sausage and fruit.

For an easy overnight recipe, this one cannot be beat. Thanks, Ruth!