Christmas morning is magical. Our young granddaughters have reignited that special child Christmas morning magic. 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. But, before we leave for church I make breakfast.
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
Adapted from: 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.