French Toast Casserole

Husband and I recently we given a couple nice loaves of leftover bread.  It was more then we would eat before it would go bad.  I remembered a great recipe my sister gave me a couple years ago for a French toast casserole.  Since French toast was invented as a way to use stale, leftover bread, this recipe was perfect.  This recipe is fantastic, too, for pot lucks and big family brunches.

French Toast Casserole
8oz (1/2 large loaf) French bread
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
cinnamon, sugar, butter

Cubed bread and put into a greased 9x9 pan
Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and salt, pour over the cubed bread
Refrigerate for 8 or more hours.  Its best to sit overnight at least
Remove 30 minutes before baking
Top with cinnamon, sugar and pads of butter
Bake, covered, at 350* for 45 to 50 minutes

**French bread isnt a must.  You just want to make sure it is a nice, crusty bread.


Another great option that I just discovered is to cover with apple slices.  You could also mix in raisins and/or apple chunks.

I want to sing the praises of electric knives.  I love mine.  I bought it originally for meat carving but I use it the most on bread.  An electric knife is a quick and easy tool for butting up bread.  Especially stale, crusty, bread.