Apple Raisin French Toast Casserole

As any mom knows, preparing a different meal for each child or person in the family can quickly become stressful and exhausting. Unfortunately my family had developed this bad habit at breakfast during the days when I was working. At some point in the last few months I finally decided "Enough. I'm not going to fix a different breakfast for each child every morning. It's ridiculous!"

As the school year began I declared to my family that we would all be eating the same thing for breakfast and that it would (usually) be a healthy breakfast. Over the last 2 months I have been searching out more breakfast recipes to try with my family. So, I was thrilled to see that today's theme for the Ultimate Recipe Swap is Breakfast. I can't wait to see all the breakfast ideas out there.

I do not remember where the original recipe for this breakfast casserole came from. I do remember that while I really liked the combination of ingredients, I did not like the way it was put together. So, I re-wrote the directions. The original recipe also fills a 9x13 pan which is far more than my family will eat in a morning. In order to not have leftovers for the next 3 days, I rewrote the ingredients list for a smaller pan.

This is a delicious breakfast casserole and perfect for using up those leftover apples you still have hanging around.

Apple Raisin French Toast Casserole
(printable recipe) 

(The picture really doesn't do it justice.)

Ingredients (for 9x13, serving 10-12):

• 1 loaf French Bread
• ½ Cup butter
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 baking apples
• ¾ Cup raisins
• 7 eggs
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 Tblsp. vanilla

Ingredients (for 9x9 (2 qt) casserole, serving 4-5):

• ½ loaf French Bread
  
• 4 Tblsp butter
• ½ Cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon, divided
  
• 1 ½ baking apples
• ½ Cup raisins (we like raisins!)
  
• 4 eggs
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
(At night, before baking)

1. Grease pan.
2. Cut bread into 1" cubes, place in very large bowl.
3. Melt butter, mix in brown sugar and ½ of cinnamon; set aside.
   
4. Peel, core and dice apples. Combine with raisins.
5. Pour butter mixture over apples; mix together.
6. Whisk together egg, milk, vanilla and ½ of cinnamon.
7. Pour egg/milk mixture over bread. Stir to combine.
   
8. Pour apple mixture over bread in large bowl and combine. 
9. Pour everything into the greased pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

(In the Morning)

1. Bake at 375°, 40 minutes covered.
2. Remove cover; bake 10 more minutes.
3. Serve warm with syrup.

Notes:
This recipe goes together very easily. The amounts for the 9x9 pan makes enough to feed my family of 2 adults and 2 young children with some leftover. I typically will use ½ the loaf of bread and store the other ½ in the freezer until the next time I need it.  Granny Smiths work very well in this casserole, but this time I used Cortlands. They were also delicious.

More breakfast ideas from Unfinished Mom:
Purple Lava
Whole Wheat Peach Muffins
Perfect Boiled Eggs

For more great breakfast recipes, visit Life As Mom.