Barbie's French Toast Casserole

Imagine this: You leave work early on a Friday afternoon, drive home with the windows open down winding country roads, then pack a weekend bag. You and your partner pick up two friends and drive an hour and half east (the midway point of your trip) and eat fantastic Mexican food. Then you drive another hour and a half farther east and end the car trip at an amazing cabin on a lake in the country. You unwind in the hot tub, have a couple drinks, then call it a night. 

When you wake up Saturday morning, warm notes of cinnamon and pecans greet your nose and force you out of bed. You meander to the kitchen and find your friend's mom, Barbie, has made this amazing French Toast Casserole for you. Fluffy, flavorful, and topped with warm maple syrup— it's the perfect recipe to kick off a weekend of relaxation. 


This is basically what my life looked like a few weekends ago. My friends called me up to see if we wanted to drive the three hours to east Tennessee to see the Synchronous Fireflies that live in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We obviously said yes, since we're the kind of people that definitely wanna see some mating lightening bugs flash their butts in harmony at one another.


So we drove out to east Tennessee and spent the weekend relaxing. We grilled food, went on a paddle boat, and spent some time site-seeing (I already blogged about the terrifying SkyFlyer ride here!). The best part is that we had this amazing weekend and didn't even end up seeing the fireflies— ha! It was such a great weekend and really solidified my desire to move out to the country and live a little slower.


Anyway, I didn't wanna post pictures of this incredible casserole without being able to share the recipe. So my friend Rachel got her mom, Barbie, to send me the recipe. Only she sent me a hand written version from who knows where and it's the cutest thing ever, no? I'm so in love with this entire breakfast experience. Make it for yourself, make it for a friend— you won't regret it.


French Toast Casserole

Cut a loaf of Texas Toast in one inch cubes. Let set out all day with just a paper towel over them. Coat a 9x13 inch casserole pan with butter (use real butter, about 2 tablespoons). Mix together:

8 slightly beaten large eggs
1 cup whipping cream or half & half
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt

Pour over bread and refrigerate overnight. Next morning, let set out one hour to come to room temperature. Top with chopped pecans and bake at 350° for one hour.

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Let me know if you decide to make this dessert! I know when I do that my version will probably have less dairy (I might try coconut milk!) and use fresh local eggs in it. I might also top it with fresh cut strawberries and powdered sugar instead of pecans— yum!

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