French Toast Casserole

What do I do when I have a lot of packages of bread left in my bread drawer? Luckily, we are not gluten free people and we love bread. Of course, we love all types of bread. If you look in my bread drawer you might find all kind of various kinds of bread. Wheat white, raisin, Hawaiian and scali bread, among others, all find their way into my kitchen. Fortunately, I have a few choices to use up the last few slices of these loafs. In addition to the bread crumbs, which I often make if I have the right type of bread, I make French toast casserole.

We eat breakfast for dinner every few weeks. The menu usually changes. I put together some combination of eggs, breakfast sausage, pancakes, waffles, toast, or hash brown patties. Bacon is my favorite. But, even cooking it in the oven becomes too tiring so I rarely put it on the menu. If I have a lot of leftover non rye bread, I make a French toast casserole.

It took me a while to find a French toast casserole recipe that wasn’t too sweet and soft like bread pudding. Many recipes have the bread soaking in the egg and milk mixture overnight, which accounts for the super light and soft texture most recipes have. I like this version, but for me it is definitely more for dessert. Since I can’t stand or park my chair in front of the stove easily, I can’t make traditional French toast. The recipe I have come up with is a little firmer from less liquid, is not too sweet, and doesn’t have to soak overnight. If someone, like my husband, wants it sweeter, he pours some maple syrup over it. I like it plain, and I get to gloat about how I got rid of leftover bread without throwing it out.