Going out to brunch can be so hectic…you have to get up and get dressed, find a spot to eat that everyone agrees on, and you inevitably end up waiting so long that you would eat just about anything. That’s why we love trading in going out to brunch for making a delicious recipe in our pj’s at home! Especially when the breakfast can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for an easy weekday breakfast.
The prep work is done the night before and it chills in the fridge all night or for at least 6 hours. When you wake up a little hangry (hungry + angry) all you have to do is pop it into the oven for an easy breakfast that everyone will love. This french toast casserole has a coconut almond crust (coconut can be a bit overwhelming), but it’s just the right amount blended in a food processor and baked into the crust. We found this recipe on the Food Network app, it’s one of our favorite interactive tools for browsing and searching for easy recipes. You can search by chef, occasion, ingredient, type, and so much more, then save it to your recipe box so you can easily find the recipes you wanted to try. So sit back, relax, and get ready for your taste buds to start tingling!
What You Need:
* Disclaimer: this recipe requires a food processor or a blender that will blend ingredients into a fine mixture
For the French Toast
- 9 slices of thick bread, we used whole wheat
- 6 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups half and half
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
- Optional maple syrup, powdered sugar, and berry mixture for topping
For the Coconut Almond Crust
- 1/2 cup of coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons flour
- A pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
What You Do:
6 hours before or the night before:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, place the bread on a baking sheet and bake each side of the bread for 6 minutes. (12 minutes total)
- Combine the eggs, half and half, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large enough bowl to submerge each slice of bread so that it is fully coated in the mixture.
- In a large, greased casserole dish place the liquid coated bread in a row so that they all fit and pour any remaining liquid on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 6 hours.
The morning of:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Now it’s time to make the coconut almond crust! In a food processor combine the the coconut, almonds, granulated sugar, flour, and salt so that it is very fine.
- Add the butter, egg, and yolk to the food processor so that the mixture becomes a thick paste.
- Spread coconut almond paste over the chilled casserole dish and place in the oven.
- Bake for 50 minutes until the crust is a light golden brown
- Once cooled, top with berries, powdered sugar, and syrup
A Hint of Hazel 