French Toast Bake

 One of our family traditions for our Church's General Conference weekend is
a fun breakfast on Saturday morning.
This year my husband was in Australia on business,
so it threw off my schedule and Saturday came a day earlier than I expected.
So, I made French Toast Bake and we had our Saturday breakfast on Sunday instead
and the kids LOVED it!





I love French Toast Bake because you can fix it the night before
and then throw it in the oven the next morning and VOILA!
you have a yummy breakfast that you didn't have to get up early (my arch-nemesis) to make!
But beware - it does take an hour to bake, so don't wake up at 9:00,
thinking you'll be eating by 9:30 - a mistake I may or may have not made. 

FRENCH TOAST BAKE

1 loaf french bread (I used the loaf from Walmart)
8 eggs
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. vanilla

Crunchy Topping:
1/2 c. flour
 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cube cold butter, cut into pieces (1/2 cup)

1. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Tear the french bread into bite-sized pieces and cover
the bottom of the pan evenly.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. You can
use more than 1/2 cup of sugar. Lots of the recipes call for 3/4, but a 1/2 cup is great for me.
Pour this mixture over the bread. Cover tightly and put in the fridge overnight.

3. In a medium sized bowl mix together the ingredients for the topping with either a pastry
blender or by using two knifes to cut in the butter until it is crumbly.
DON'T use a fork. It will just mash it up and you won't have a crumbly topping.
You'll have a solid butter sugar mass :) Store covered in the fridge overnight.

4. The next morning, have your husband get up an hour before you plan to serve, and preheat the oven to 350.
 Then evenly sprinkle the sugar crumb topping over bread/egg mixture.
Bake for 1 hour at 350.

I serve ours with a powdered sugar/milk glaze and the kids are wild for it.
Does your family like French Toast Bake?
Do you serve it with syrup or glaze?