Baked Apple French Toast Casserole

This Recipe is Featured in Redbook's, Ten Casseroles You Must Try

This is a lovely casserole to keep in mind for a weekend breakfast or brunch. As breakfast casseroles go, this inexpensive treat is a snap to make, and it has the added advantage of being as kind to the hips as it is to the wallet. The first of our local apples come to market toward the end of August, and this version of French toast appears on my table very soon after that. It seems like a great way to mark the passing of summer and I like to serve it for breakfast at some point over the Labor Day weekend. There are many versions of this dish floating through cyberspace. I finally settled on this one because of its judicious use fats and sugar. While I prefer to serve the casserole with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, I do make syrup available for others at the table. I usually prepare the one outlined in this recipe, but if I'm rushed I'll serve maple syrup or use a commercial caramel sauce that I thin a bit for easy pouring. The times suggested in the recipe are variables based on personal taste and experience. I prefer the texture of a drier toast, so I bake mine for over an hour. If you prefer a texture more akin to bread pudding, reduce oven time accordingly. This is a nice breakfast dish and I think you'll find it a welcome addition to your table. Here's the recipe.

Baked Apple French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

French Toast

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, torn into bite-size cubes

6 eggs

1-1/2 cups skim milk

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar, divided use

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 medium Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch dice

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Syrup

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Spray or grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

2) To make French toast: Scatter bread cubes in bottom of prepared pan. Place eggs, milk, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat to combine. Pour mixture over bread cubes. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Add apple cubes and toss to coat. Spread apples over bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Thirty minutes before baking, remove casserole from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake casserole for 60 to 75 minutes, or until custard is set and golden brown. Serve casserole hot with warm syrup. Yield: 8 servings.

3) To make syrup: Combine white sugar, flour, and melted butter in a small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, skim milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Cook, stirring, until thick.

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