I adapted this recipe slightly from a dear friend at our church in middle Tennessee, where we lived from 2000 to 2004. I have made it for Christmas morning at the in-laws’ (in the years before the blog) and now for Easter brunch at church. The best part is that you assemble it the day before, then just throw it in the oven the next morning!
- 1 loaf firm white bread (French, Italian, or sourdough), sliced
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 sticks butter
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk, half & half, or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
Spray bottom of 13 x 9 x 2 pan. Stir sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and set aside; melt butter in microwave and set aside. Slice each full slice of bread in half. Lay half slices in single layer in bottom of pan and sprinkle with 1/3 of sugar mixture, then slowly pour 1/3 of melted butter evenly over the sugar. Repeat process twice with 2 more layers of bread, sugar, and butter. Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla and slowly pour over the entire casserole, making sure the liquid goes into the crevices as well as along the tops of the bread. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350⁰ for 45 minutes until golden. (You will not need syrup or powdered sugar, this is rich and sweet just as it is!)
The Soup Diva 