When it comes to Christmas morning breakfast, my family is all about casseroles. Our family favorite is Cheese Puff Casserole (someone please remind me to share this recipe before Christmas next year!) and aside from the deliciously cheesy taste of the egg-based casserole, I think the reason my mom began making it year after year was because she could prep it ahead of time. She’d assemble the casserole on Christmas Eve and then, as our family sat down to go through our stockings, she’d pop the casserole in the oven and it would be ready to eat before we were ready to move onto the presents under the tree.
This recipe for eggnog French toast casserole is a great one because it’s flexible. You can easily prep it the night before you want to bake it for a no-hassle breakfast or you can throw it together in the morning since it is a simple one that doesn’t require a ton of work. It’s a recipe that can easily adapt to your breakfast prep preferences!
I made this recipe last weekend when my in-laws were in town and we were celebrating our family Christmas with Ryan’s mom and Les a little early. I wanted to serve something festive and fun for breakfast and since everyone loves French toast, a French toast casserole seemed like the perfect answer. By adding eggnog to the base of the casserole, a basic French toast casserole was instantly transformed into a special Christmas morning-worthy dish.
Eggnog French Toast Casserole
PrintEggnog French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Category: breakfast, recipes
- Cuisine: Breakfast
Description
This eggnog French toast casserole is a deliciously festive breakfast, perfect for Christmas morning or a fun family brunch! A touch of eggnog and a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon make this casserole a family favorite that will keep everyone coming back for more.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 5 heaping cups roughly torn thick bread
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1 cup milk
- 5 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray or coat with a light layer of butter. (You may make this in an 8×8 baking dish, but cook times will be longer and the casserole will be thicker.) Drizzle maple syrup on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle torn bread on top of the maple syrup.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, eggnog, salt and cinnamon.
- Pour egg mixture evenly over bread and press bread down to make sure it’s completely soaked. Allow to soak overnight or for approximately 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bread and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until casserole is puffed up and golden brown on top. (You should be able to place a knife in the middle of the casserole and have it come out clean.)
- Remove from oven, top with maple syrup, fresh berries or powdered sugar and enjoy!!
Notes
(Recipe slightly adapted from Everyday Sisters Easy French Toast Casserole)
You can make this recipe your own by adding chopped pecans, fresh berries or even a handful or two of white chocolate chips to the mix for a more decadent breakfast. Have a little fun with it! The holidays are here, after all!
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
I LOVE eggnog! This sounds like a perfect Christmas morning breakfast treat!
Linz @ Itz Linz says
Believe it or not I’ve never had eggnog before! I do love baked French toast though!
Taylor says
Oh wow! This recipe looks so decadent! Definitely special for Christmas morning!!
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
I usually don’t like eggnog straight but apparently I’m super into egg nog flavored things this year (like gelato?) ! Maybe I would really love this! I’m usually a cheesy goodness holiday breakfast person but I bet this has the advantage of smelling incredible, wake up the whole house AMAZING!
Sarah @ BucketListTummy says
I’ve been looking for a french toast casserole recipe – wah lah. Just what I needed!
Jenn@Mark My Miles! says
I need to make this this year!
Heather @ Polyglot Jot says
Yum!! this looks great! I bet it would be delicious with chocolate chips.Hopefully it will still be as delicious with lactose free nog. haha!
Melanie says
Oh wow! This looks so good. I love prepping dishes the night before and having them all ready to bake in the oven the next day. I can’t believe I haven’t had any eggnog yet this year… It’s one of m favorite holiday treats.
Thanks for sharing!!
Jenna says
Please tell me … where are those adorable plates from?!
Sarah @ Sweet Miles says
This looks SO good!!! And easy to make. I am all about fast recipes with a baby!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona says
Looks delicious!
Sheena @ Paws and Pavement says
Sounds good!
Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says
Eggnog is the best thing ever made. I’ve been having eggnog lattes from David’s Tea and they are dangerously addictive.
monique says
what bread do u recommend?
Cassie Tran says
Yummy! The bread looks SO SOFT!
Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me says
This looks amazing, Julie! Cannot wait to try it out for myself. Thank you for sharing all of your festive treats!
Kate @mindfoodly says
We just don’t do Christmas breakfast like this in Australia and we so should! I am thinking of bringing in the tradition to my family 🙂
Jessica @ Semi-Sweet Tooth says
True life – I just showed this to my fiancé, who is a die-hard eggnog fan, and I cannot put in words how upset he is that we haven’t made this yet. This is perfect for a winter holiday morning, or for everyday.
Thanks for sharing!! Yum. 🙂
pilla says
Looks so delicious. Here in Sweden the tradition is to eat porrage for Xmas brekkie. Think we should import your delicious treat!
pat. says
Tempting and with a no syrup option even better.
Meg Deco says
This was a great Christmas morning breakfast and I enjoyed the bench workout when traveling last week at the beach in FL. Thank you for your blog. I like to have a place to try fun quick new ideas that bring joy and health. Merry Christmas to yout and your family! !!