Overnight French Toast Casserole

I am not sure if it is my 13 month old or my innate sweet tooth, but I have been craving anything with maple syrup over the past few weeks. When I was growing up, my mom made French toast all the time. What patience it must have taken to dip each individual piece of bread in a cinnamon flavored batter and then grill it to golden brown perfection…for 3 kids! Fast forward 20 years and I would like a shortcut please! I have been curious about the French toast casseroles that soak overnight, so I decided to give one a try this weekend while we had friends visiting. It was so wonderfully easy! I assembled in less than 5 minutes the night before and then on Sunday all we had to do was pop it in the oven and let it do its thing. Love it! Maple syrup and a side of bacon are a must!

Overnight French Toast Casserole
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 loaf brioche or challah -sliced
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
(Optional) maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping


Directions
In a small bowl combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish overlapping if necessary.

Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices. 

Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices. 

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours. 

In the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheating your oven to 350 degrees. 

Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes. If top starts browning too quickly place a foil loosely over the top of the casserole for the last 10 minutes or so. You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked but don't dry it out completely.

Remove casserole from oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.