Blueberry French Toast Casserole

It's a holiday weekend (okay, it's the Superbowl but that qualifies at our house) and I need something for breakfast that will be ready to serve quickly.  Plus Valentine's day is just around the corner and this would be the perfect "Sweet for your Sweetie" as breakfast in bed! 

This was super easy!  Only 10 minutes to put it together then it sits in the fridge overnight.  Pop it in the oven the first thing in the morning, then drizzle with syrup and you are a Kitchen STAR!

You'll Need:

For the Casserole -
2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 ounces day-old brioche bread cut into 1 inch cubes, (soft dinner rolls are fine too, I am fresh out of brioche! :) 

1 1/3 cups fresh blueberries

powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional but do it)!

 

For the Streusel -

2 tablespoons cold butter (real butter)

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 

Now let's get started!  Whisk together your eggs, milk, maple syrup and vanilla.  Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray then layer 1/2 of your bread cubes and sprinkle with 1/2 your blueberries on top.  Repeat for a second layer then pour the egg mix on top.  Let this sit on the counter for a few minutes for that egg mix to start to soak into the bread cubes.  Cover with saran wrap tightly and put in the fridge.  You can let this sit as little as an hour but I let it wait overnight.

 

While your casserole is hanging on the counter, whip up your streusel.  Get a small bowl and combine the butter with sugar and flour.  I just used a fork to make this crumbly.  Cover tightly with saran wrap and put it in the fridge beside your casserole.

 

When you are ready to bake, unwrap the casserole and sprinkle the streusel mix on the top.  Bake in a 350* oven for about 40 minutes.  It will puff up a bit and the top will start to turn gold.

 

The longer you allow the bread to soak, the softer your casserole will be end the end. On the other hand, less soaking time means a crispier top.

 

I sprinkled this with powdered sugar and even drizzled some warm syrup on it to serve. 

 

You can make the streusel just before baking, but it's better to make it ahead of time so the butter can chill again. That way the streusel bits stay crispy and don't "run away" in the oven. I doubled this recipe as I have a lot of hungry folks waiting.  It filled a 9x13 inch casserole dish.  If you are making  a small batch an 8x8 dish will do fine.