Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog French Toast Casserole

One of my favorite brunch items is overnight french toast or a strata. They're so easy to prepare, can be made in advance, can be flavored a million ways, and serve a crowd.



The first french toast casserole I decided to make was Pumpkin Spice. I absolutely love pumpkin, so it was an easy decision. I decided to go food shopping and see what bread was fresh and looked good, and the baker told me the challah was fresh and delicious. It was exactly what I had hoped for! This french toast was fantastic, a little spicy, and creamy in the middle with some crunch on the outside.

Pumpkin Spice Challah French Toast Casserole

1-2 tbsp. softened butter

1 loaf of challah bread, sliced 1" thick

6 eggs

2 cups of 2% milk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Butter the bottom and sides of a casserole dish.

Line the dish with bread, cut to fit nooks and try to make layers even, crossing bread in different directions (you can also cube the bread and scatter it).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Pour evenly over bread, press bread down to saturate.

Cover with saran wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove saran wrap or foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray, re-cover casserole.

Bake for 1 hour, uncover and bake for another 15-30 minutes (to determine how long it needs to bake, jiggle the dish, if the center isn't set, continue to bake. If there is no jiggle, remove and serve).

For the second French Toast Casserole, I decided to use eggnog. It seemed to be a natural choice since french toast is eggy. JJ said his family loves eggnog, so it was a great idea. This one seemed to be a bit more creamy and the favorite among the crowd.

Eggnog Challah French Toast Casserole

1-2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 loaf of challah bread, cut 1" thick

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups lowfat eggnog

1 cup 2% milk

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Butter the bottom and sides of a casserole dish.

Lay bread in the dish, crossing to create even layers.

Whisk together eggs, eggnog, milk, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Pour evenly over bread, press down to soak in as much as possible.

Cover with saran wrap or foil.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove saran wrap, spray foil with nonstick spray, re-cover.

Bake for 1 hour, uncover and bake for 15 minutes to 30 minutes.