Christmas morning is magical. Even though our boys are grown, I still see them as little boys with every present they open. I don’t think that will ever change. When we lived in California our Christmas mornings were hectic. Hurry to open gifts, hurry to one house then hurry to another. All this hurrying was followed by more hurrying home to host Christmas dinner. When we moved to Arizona we got to slow down the morning.
On Christmas Eve we go to church, usually working one service and worshipping during another. I love our church, especially when it’s decorated for Christmas. There’s so much hope and anticipation as we prepare for Christ’s birth. After church we’re off with a giant tray of desserts to the home of our wonderful friends Don and Cathie. Like us, they moved here for a career move and host their friends every Christmas Eve evening. Our kids are the same age and it’s fun to see Jeff’s Little League coach every year They and their friends are now all grown up and we get to meet new babies now. It’s also nice to see their family members that are in town for the holiday. Don’s brother Steve, never misses a Christmas and I love seeing him.
After that it’s home for a little glass of wine in the living room in the dark looking at the Christmas tree, just Mark and I.
But, before we leave for church I make breakfast. I love me some blueberries and eat them as much as I can. My breakfast of choice during the week is yogurt topped with blueberries, strawberries with a sprinkling of ground golden flaxseed. Hey, I’m trying to be healthy! This is the perfect decadent item to go with our Amazing Breakfast Casserole. You have the meaty dish and the sweet, celebratory dish to choose from. When the gifts are all opened, I pop these in the oven and viola! breakfast is cooking without any work from me. I can get started on the candied yams for dinner, get the ham ready for the grill and relax with a mimosa while the delicious smells fill the house.
The recipe calls for slightly stale bread chunks, she leaves them out overnight. Our humidity in the desert is always on the low side but last week it hovered in the 3-5% range. I was afraid if I left them out overnight I would find croutons in the morning! I cut the bread before making the angel food cake and made this last dish so they sat on the counter for a few hours. It’s totally up to you how dry you want the bread chunks. I’ve also made it right after cutting the bread and it’s just as good so the choice is yours.
She mentions using Challah bread in her blog post. My local grocery store always has it so I’ve used it every time. It’s a nice bread that holds the egg mixture well. Why mess with a good thing. I dump all the bread in a well-greased 9 x 13 pan then top it with the blueberries. The recipe calls for 1 cup, I like more and used 1 ½ cups this time. Next time I’ll use two cups. I like to have that blueberry goodness in every bite.
Next up is the egg mixture. Eight eggs, 2 1/4 cups of milk, a tablespoon of vanilla, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and brown sugar. She uses ¾ cup of brown sugar but I found that a little too sweet for me the first time I made it and now use ½ cup. Yes, you read that right, something was actually too sweet for me. After that’s all whisked together, it gets poured on top of the bread and blueberries. I use a fork and push down all the bread to make sure each piece is good and wet. Then I cover it and put it in the refrigerator until morning.
The streusel topping goes on just before baking. I made this Friday morning as well and it was so easy sprinkling it on when we got back from the race. Cut up cold butter into the brown sugar and flour mixture until you get little crumbles. I start with a knife then finish with a fork.
This yummy goodness bakes for 45-55 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Don’t count on any leftovers as it goes in a flash.
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Credit: Sally’s Baking Addiction
- 1 12-14 ounce loaf challah bread (french or sourdough are fine, too)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I use more)
- 8 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (I use 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes
Grease a 9 x 13 pan with butter or non-stick spray. Slice and cut the bread into one-inch cubes. Note: you can cut the bread ahead of time and let the cubes dry out to be slightly stale. Spread cubes in pan and top evenly with blueberries.
Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar together until well combined. Pour over bread. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator for at least three hours or overnight. Overnight is best.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Make topping by whisking brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Add cubed butter and cut together until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread.
Bake uncovered 45-55 minutes or until golden brown on top. Store any leftovers if the refrigerator.