French Toast Casserole with Rum Chata

This French Toast Casserole with rum chata is perfect for a lazy breakfast or a brunch with friends. I usually make this New Years Eve (pre-bubbly) and pop in the oven on New Years morning. It’s just the perfect amount of sugary goodness just before I (pretend to) go on a New Year’s cleanse. This is also perfect for Sunday or Saturday brunch. Or great for a long weekend with a crowd.

This French toast casserole with the (optional!) rum chata tastes amazing. The rum Chata adds just enough UMPH. I’ll admit that I can either use brioche or challah bread. To me, brioche gives it a pudding taste and challah is perfectly crispy. Try both and let me know which you like the most.

The concept of this casserole is to be firm and crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. The purpose of the resting period is to allow the bread to soak into the milk mixture. This is best done overnight. You can “cheat” it by making this the day of but it’ll at least wait 2-3 hours. You want the egg/milk mixture to soak up into the bread. 

This is also a perfect recipe to improvise. You can add various things like rum Chata (LOL), apples, bacon crumbles and all types of things to the crust or the custard (depending on the mix). This can also serve as a side to your breakfast charcuterie board

I love making it the night before because prepping my food the night before always makes me feel like a responsible adult (ha!).  

Let me know below if you use challah or brioche bread? And If you try- of course let me know your results. 

5 from 1 vote

French Bread Casserole with Rum Chata

Print Recipe

A wonderful sweet breakfast with French toast goodness.

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr

Resting Time:8 hours hrs

Equipment

• 9 x 13 casserole dish
• Spatula
• Extra bowls
• Whisk

Ingredients

• 1 Brioche bread Can use brioche bread or challah. Depending on the bread you may need to adjust the sugar

Bread Custard Ingredient

• 5 Large Eggs
• 2 Cups Whole Milk Another milk is permissible but you need the fatness of the whole milk
• 1/2 Cups Whipping Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
• 1/4 Cup White Sugar You may need to adjust the sugar up or down depending on the bread base that you use.
• 1 Pinch Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons Rum Chata (Optional)

Bread Topping

• 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup White Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Butter (Cold butter)

Instructions

Phase 1

• Take the loaf or (loaves) of bread and cut/break apart into small manageable pieces
• Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and add the bread pieces
• In a separate bowl, Whisk eggs, milk, whipping cream, syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sugar. As a matter of course I add the Rum Chata at the end.
• Whisk all of the mixture together it will resemble yellow cream
• Slowly and carefully pour over the top of the bread pieces. The bread will almost immediately begin to soak up the mixture. Take a spatula and ensure the bread is covered by the custard.
• Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate. I suggest at least overnight but at a minimum 2-3 hours to ensure that the bread soaks up the mixture.

Phase 2

• Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and take off the Saran Wrap. You should see that the bread has almost completely soaked up the mixture and there pieces of bread surrounded by the custard. It should also be solid. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a separate bowl whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon. The bread will be brown and white.
• Cut in the cold butter. The mixture will become crumbly.
• Add the crumbles on the TOP of the bread mix. Do not mix. Just gently “pat” over the top.
• Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20-25 min
• At the 20-25 min mark (the mixture should be bubbling and solid) uncover the aluminum foil and bake for another 25-30 min. The goal is for the outside to be crusty and the inside to be soft but solid. The toothpick test can work.
• Take out and allow to cool. It will be bubbling when done.
  

Notes

This is a breakfast item but can easily be a “breakfast” for dessert. 

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breakfast casserole, french toast, french toast casserole

Servings: 6