Cinnamon-Streusel Baked French Toast, Revisited

Well, this is an accidental revisited recipe.  Only after this recipe was baked and eaten did I find out that I had made this recipe before.  Actually, as my husband was inhaling  eating this, he said "This is really good...have you made something like it before?"  To which I probably replied or at least thought, "I'm pretty sure I would remember if I had."   And then when I looked it up...I found it (from almost exactly 1 year ago!).  Which not only means that I need a lesson in humility but also that I either have a bad memory, 200+ recipes is catching up to me and/or I have a big weakness for all things French toast and cinnamon-streusel.

Besides the flavor which we both really enjoyed, I also loved how easy it was to make.  I prepped the bread cubes the morning before and left it sitting out all day to help dry up the bread (dry bread helps to soak up the egg mixture better).  I also made the egg mixture and streusel topping and just refrigerated them separately.  That night before bed, I coated the bread cubes in the egg mixture and refrigerated it.  When we got home from church, I preheated the oven, took out the dish and topped it with the streusel.  Into the oven for about 50 minutes and it was perfect! This made the morning of brunch so easy and let me concentrate on other important things like prepping the frittata and drinking a mimosa.

My husband loved that the top of this casserole was slightly crunchy and the whole casserole had a nice, firm texture with delicious flavors (we like ours on the firmer side so I had decreased the milk a little and added a little extra cooking time). And maple syrup just took it over the top, in my opinion.

Cinnamon-Streusel Baked French Toast
Taken from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Serves 6 (could be doubled)

1/2 loaf crusty Sourdough or French Bread (bread that is several days old is best

4 eggs

1 cup milk (I used about 3/4 cup skim since we like ours firmer)

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used probably closer to 1/8 cup of heavy whipping cream)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

TOPPING:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into pieces

For serving: extra butter, maple syrup and/or fruit, if desired

1. Grease 8-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into 1-inch cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan (I left this sitting out for an entire day to help dry up the bread -- dry bread soaks up the egg mixture better).
2. Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg (if using). Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a ziploc or air-tight container in the fridge.
4. When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top.  Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.
5. Serve with butter, maple syrup and/or fruit (maple syrup is my favorite).