Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole for #BackToSchoolTreats

I made my first loaf of cinnamon raisin bread recently - but I think there was too much sugar in the filling because a fair amount of it sort of set into hard sugary chunks along the bottom of the loaf. Easy fix? Dice the whole thing up, throw it in a 9x13 and bake it into a gorgeous breakfast casserole! I am always looking for ways to re-purpose items that don't come out the way I'd planned, don't get eaten very quickly, or ingredients that I only needed a little of and then it sits in the pantry or refrigerator. Breakfast casseroles have become a wonderful go-to "catch all" for fruits and breads that need homes! 

This cinnamon raisin version is so good! The extra layers of flavor already woven into the bread work so perfectly for a breakfast casserole - this was absolutely delicious, it may be one of my favorite variations so far! Which means I can play around with the cinnamon raisin bread recipe until I perfect it - and any future "fails" will just mean delicious breakfast casseroles!

For the half and half / milk portion I have used so many different variations of dairy for this and they all work well - if you have odds and ends to use up feel free to mix and match pretty much any variety of milk / heavy whipping cream / half and half / even liquid creamer! I once bought too many cartons of french vanilla creamer, and didn't want one to go bad since I don't go through them very quickly for my morning coffee, so I used french vanilla creamer in place of milk for a baked oatmeal - it works beautifully!

See all of our Thursday Back to School Treat Recipes!

Breakfast Recipes
Frozen Hot Chocolate by Family Around the Table
Fruit Bomb Smoothies by Our Good Life

Breakfast Recipes
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole by Making Miracles
Key Lime Pie Pancakes by Love & Confections

Dessert Recipes
Fluffernutter Bites by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole

Ingredients
1 large loaf cinnamon raisin bread (diced - enough to fill 13 x 9 in. pan)
1/2 maple syrup (divided)
10 eggs
3 cups half and half (or milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Fill the baking dish with the diced bread.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half (or milk). Whisk in the maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
4. Pour egg mixture over the bread and press down so it soaks in (allow to rest for an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator if desired, this allows the bread to absorb more of the liquid). If you don't have time to wait, go ahead and pop it in the oven for 50-55 minutes, until the casserole is set and you have some golden brown edges along the top.
5. Allow to rest about 15 minutes before slicing and serving with some maple syrup and / or powdered sugar if desired.

Note: If you do refrigerate overnight - set the casserole on the counter at least 30-45 minutes before you plan to bake to allow the dish to come to room temperature (or close to it) before baking.

Recipe inspired by Just A Pinch