French Toast Bake with Praline Topping

Every Thanksgiving our family spends the week together in OBX. It's a complete 7 day feast. Family members take turns cooking and the chefs always go all out. For breakfast 2 years ago I made several casseroles and also included this French Toast Bake to the mix. What I love about French Toast Bakes for breakfast is that you do most of the work the night before. Yay! Here is the recipe I used.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of good french bread, cut into big cubes
8 eggs
1 cup of skim milk 
1.5 cups half & half (if you use fat free it will take a little bit longer to cook)
2 tbsp sugar (or splenda)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (you will use more for praline topping)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (you will use more for praline topping)
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 pound butter (I use Land O Lakes Light Butter w/ Olive Oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp of light corn syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Butter bottom and sides of a casserole dish.
Spread bread cubes on the bottom, it's okay to have them overlap.
Mix the eggs, milk, half & half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt in a large bowl.
Pour mixture over bread cubes. Make sure every spot of the bread cubes is covered. Be sure to get in between the bread cubes and be sure that the topping is evenly spread out among the bread cubes.
Cover with tin foil & keep in fridge over night.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix butter (best at room temperature), brown sugar, pecans, light corn syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt in a bowl. 
Spread over the bread mixture. 
Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly golden. Bread will puff up. 

After you are done cooking & eating...go enjoy a warm cup of coffee by the beach. :-)

What do you think? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to know that you visited my blog. Please leave me a message letting me know you were here! Did you try out a recipe? Let me know! I would love to hear from you :-)