French toast is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I remember ordering it countless times as a child until I came to the realization that 1-2-3 bites and I was done. It’s like the cotton candy of breakfast foods. But this Challah French Toast Casserole is hearty and all the other things you want on a Saturday morning when you’ve slept in and your stomach beckons for food. Rather loudly in my case. Does anyone else wake up in full Hulk mode until you get breakfast? Just me?
It’s not that I’ve always been the bright-eye’d and bushy-tailed morning person that I am now, but I have always LOVED mornings. Especially, when I get to spend them slowly, at home and on the weekends. There is just something about my first cup of black coffee and the feeling of all my energy renewed. There is such a hope and prospect for the day to come. Even if I end up getting NOTHING done.
“I’m going to get so much done today,” I say to myself as I lie in bed just an hour longer.
Every morning I — well, first I check my numbers, take my shots, eat the food, and drink the coffee. THEN, I make a list. The first draft is everything I want to do for the day, and then I look at it realistically and pare it down to what has to get done. It’s great, and it has worked out wonderfully for me. I’m a major list maker! Shout out to all the people who write things on their list that they have already accomplished JUST so they can mark it off. I’ve found that if I put too much down on my list, I never get it all done, and I never have that feeling of accomplishment. And, sometimes, all I write down on my note pad is simply, “rest.” It’s been the hardest thing for me to do lately. I’ve been feeling a shift lately and all I want to do is MOVE, GO and GET DONE.
However, I think that is my plan for this coming Saturday. I’ll probably make this Challah French Toast Casserole for Daniel and me (a half-size, of course) since he has a tournament this weekend. I’ll finish up a recipe for the blog next week and then go to some baseball games and watch Daniel in action. I’ll enjoy the sun (I’m willing it to be sunny this Saturday) and kick back to the sounds of baseball. Rest doesn’t always have to be on the couch watching Netflix. Sometimes rest is just doing something a little differently than your normal routine. Especially now that the sound of doing “nothing” sounds terrifying to me. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.
Rest should be my list always, but I end up using my free time to chase a dream — cooking, baking, photo shooting, writing, and cleaning. Lots and lots of cleaning! All of that to say, it’s why I enjoy a simple recipe like Challah French Toast Casserole for Saturday morning breakfast. It’s 5 ingredients. It takes 5 minutes to prep. Only two bowls to clean up. How is that for a dreamy Saturday morning? The extra time allows you to feed a big crowd (this recipe can feed a LOOOOTTT), or you can cuddle up on your favorite chair, with your most-used blanket and a new book. REST! It’s illusive and yours for the taking, that is, if you remember to write it down on your list 🙂
Challah French Toast Casserole
The perfect French toast casserole is made with challah. Using only 5 ingredients, it’s the perfect breakfast for a crowd!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 loaf of Challah
9 eggs
2 cups cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
More sugar for topping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the challah into thick slices. Remove the ends and place the loaf in a casserole dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, vanilla, and sugar together until smooth. Pour mixture over the challah, and with your hands, be sure the mixture flows in between each slice. Press down the challah to ensure the challah completely absorbs the egg mixture.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Dust with more sugar, sprinkles and torch if you would like a crème brûlée topping.
Keywords: challah, breakfast casserole, french toast
You are not alone-I too wake up in full Hulk mode! This recipe speaks my language-heavenly!
GLAD TO HEAR THAT! haha…