The Best Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep French toast casserole from getting soggy? ›

If you find yourself with a soggy casserole, for whatever reason, try baking it a bit longer until it firms up some. What's the best bread to use for baked French toast? A loaf of crusty sourdough or French bread makes the best bread for French bread.

There are a few potential reasons why your overnight French toast may be soggy. One possible culprit is that you did not use dense enough bread, which allowed the custard mixture to soak in too much.

Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.

The secret ingredient in this fluffy French toast recipe: all-purpose flour! Flour binds the liquids together, which creates a more traditional “batter” and helps prevent soggy results. This extra ingredient ensures the French toast is crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside.

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk. How's that for an easy recipe?

We use whole milk because the higher fat content makes the French toast nice and creamy, but you can substitute heavy cream, almond milk, or even coconut milk. The flavors will change a little, but the end result will still be delicious!

If the balance is off and you include too many eggs or not enough milk, the finished French toast will have a scrambled egg-like flavor. When scaling this recipe up or down, keep in mind that you need 1/4 cup of milk for every egg.

A basic rule of thumb is about 1/4 cup of milk and one egg per two-slice serving—and if you want to avoid that "scrambled" taste, use only the yolks of some or all of the eggs. (Sulfur compounds in the whites are what give eggs their unique "egg" taste.)

Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in a shallow bowl. Lightly butter a griddle or skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Dunk bread in the egg mixture, soaking both sides. Transfer to the hot skillet and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Use brioche or challah. These egg-based breads have a high butter content, meaning their crumb is tender and rich but light. In other words, they're an ideal foundation for super decadent yet airy French toast.

What is the best pan for French toast? ›

Your perfect companion for making French toast is a non-stick frying pan. CRISTEL® has an exceptional selection of non-stick frying pans with removable handles that are great for both pan-frying and also oven-cooking.

Covering the dish with aluminum foil for the first part of the bake time helps the casserole heat through to the center without drying out on top. Remove the foil for the last half of the bake time so that the top can crisp up.

Pro Tip: Avoid Dry Casserole.

The best way to prevent it from drying out is to add a little bit of water, around ¼ cup, to the top of it. Allow the water to seep between the food and the sides of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture.

Pre-cook the veggies. Veggies are naturally watery. As they cook, they release that moisture. If they only cook in the casserole, all that extra moisture will also be IN your casserole.