Easy Baked Vanilla French Toast
serves 4-6
Prepare this no-fuss French toast -- baked in the oven in a big family-style casserole dish -- the day before you want to eat it. Once it's finished baking, turn the baking dish over, inverting onto a tray to serve, or, if you don’t have a tray or can’t be bothered, let people serve themselves straight from the dish.
1 vanilla bean
3 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
12 pieces crust bread, sliced thick on the diagonal (French baguette works well)
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
prep: 15 minutes
total: 1 hour 5 minutes
mixing bowl
saucepan
heavy-bottomed 9x13 baking dish
1. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape it into a bowl with the milk, and let the bean soak.
2. Melt butter, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in saucepan on low heat until combined.
3. Pour into heavy-bottomed 9x13 baking dish. Place bread on top.
4. Remove vanilla bean pod from milk and discard.
5. Mix eggs, vanilla and salt into milk and pour over bread. Press slices down so they begin to absorb milk.
6. Refrigerate overnight.
7. When you're ready to eat, bake at 325F for 40 minutes and then 350F for 10 minutes more.
