Easy French Toast Casserole

We eat this for Christmas morning each year. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
1 (8 ounce) loaf crusty French bread, cut into bite-size pieces, or as needed
2 cups milk
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch ground cinnamon, or to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar, or as needed

Directions:

Grease a 9x12-inch baking dish.

Stir 1 cup brown sugar and butter together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves into butter, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into prepared baking dish and spread a 1 1/2- to 2-inch layer of bread pieces over the top.

Beat milk, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; pour milk mixture over bread into the baking dish and move bread as necessary to ensure all bread is absorbing liquid. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Remove and discard plastic wrap from baking dish and sprinkle remaining brown sugar over the top of the bread mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Christmas Breakfast Sausage Casserole

We eat this for Christmas morning breakfast every year. 

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.

In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.