Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
Blueberry baked french toast casserole is the best breakfast to wake up to on a late weekend and the perfect way to round off a productive, or maybe not so productive, work week.
Servings 8 people
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crumble
- 4.5 graham crackers a half of a sleeve from a 14 oz box of graham crackers
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbs unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- salt small pinch or two. Start off small then taste.
Custard
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 cups blueberries
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crumble
- Read the ingredients, instructions, and notes all the way through before you begin. Food process the graham crackers, brown sugar, melted butter, salt and vanilla extract until it comes together and resembles sand.
Custard
- In another bowl, add the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk very well.
Cream Cheese Mixture
- To a bowl, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar. With an electric mixer, mix until smooth. Don't worry if you see tiny lumps.
Layering the blueberry french toast casserole
- Dip the slices into the custard. Let the excess drip off. Place into the pan. Pour half of the custard evenly over the bread. You can also just place the bread into the pan and then pour the custard all over the bread. I prefer the first way. Then pour the remaining custard over the bread right before you add the crumble. FYI: You should be able to fit about six slices on each row. If you have to cut a slice or two of bread in half to make it fit then do so. Top bread with blueberries.Next, scatter half of the blueberries on top of the bread. You can add the cream cheese first, if you like then add the blueberries (it may be easier for you, but it doesn't really matter).Place dollops of the cream cheese mix on the bread. It's supposed to be random, but make sure you get plenty of it in there so each bite is perfect. Smooth the cream cheese out some. It doesn't have to cover the entire slice of bread.Dip six more slices of the custard dipped bread on top of the existing bread, blueberries and cream cheese mix. Pour the rest of the custard evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumb all over the top of the bread. Dot with the rest of the blueberries. **See notes below to make it overnight.**
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover with foil. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover then bake for 40 minutes or until no longer wet. **See notes below**
Notes
What Type of Bread Do I Use?
I highly recommend inch-thick brioche. It holds up well, dries up easily, and just adds that extra richness to the toast that you don't get from other breads. If you can't find brioche, you can also buy a loaf a Texas toast (not the frozen kind). As I mentioned earlier, any thick bread will work but I recommend staying away from anything pungent and “complex” like pumpernickel, or flimsy bread like white bread. If you only have white day old bread, you should probably use less custard mixture because it may come out soggy.Frozen or Fresh Blueberries
- Blueberries: Frozen or fresh is fine, however, lately I've noticed that frozen blueberries have a more concentrated flavor. I always but mine fresh and then freeze them until I'm ready to use them.
Here are two ways to make a blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole in advance.
- 1st way: For a lazy lay-in-the-bed-half-the-day type situation, prep it the night before and bake it in the morning. If you want to eat it the same day, you can do that as well. Wrap the pan with foil and tuck it in for a little rest in the fridge overnight. When you wake up in the morning, or afternoon for that matter, your blueberry cream cheese french toast will have had a goodnight's sleep, and it'll be ready for its big day in the oven. Don't remove the foil. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover then bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm.
- 2nd way: This is my favorite way. I prefer to make it the same day, bake it, then once it cools down, cover and refrigerate until the morning. The flavors get to mingle together overnight which makes this french toast taste even more flavorful. I don't EVEN bother reheating it because it's just that good! When you're ready to eat, let the casserole come to room temp and serve. Try it, you won't regret it. If you'd like to reheat the blueberry french toast casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil, bake until it's warmed throughout. Serve warm.