Brioche French Toast Casserole

SO let’s keep this one short and sweet: I love carbs.

And this time of year is perfect for those of us that deeply enjoy this food group.  But one of my favorite ways to eat carbs is if said carbs are also combined with saturated fat in the form of eggs and dairy.

(Let’s just say I might consume enough bread pudding for it to be classified as my own personal food group, and leave it at that).So, I know many of us like to make a Christmas brunch type recipe, which, in our family, has historically been store-bought coffee cake.  But this year, I’m going to go out on a limb and assert that the Gourmet Gourmand family will be eating this Brioche French Toast Casserole instead of coffee cake this Christmas morning.

And I couldn’t be happier.  It is SO SO good!This recipe has all the ingredients I hold dear- an entire loaf of sweet brioche, 8 eggs, 5 cups of whole milk, and a little alcohol in the form of Grand Marnier.  And a little orange zest.

“How gorgeous is that?” we should all exclaim upon viewing this masterpiece for the first time, because, dear reader, this recipe is an adaptation of an Ina Garten classic that uses challah bread.So that’s all I’m going to write about this French Toast casserole and let the pictures do the talking here.(Oh wait! Before I forget, I included a recipe for Mandarin Orange Maple Syrup that goes splendidly with this french toast if you are so inclined.  I’ve also eaten this with fresh and smashed strawberries and the results were equally superb).Happy Holidays!

Brioche French Toast Casserole

Adapted from Ina Garten

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

_For the French Toast_

• 1 loaf brioche bread sliced ¾ inch thick
• 8 large eggs
• 5 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons mandarin orange zest
• 2 tablespoons grand marnier liqueur or other orange flavored liqueur

_For the Mandarin Orange syrup_

• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup fresh mandarin orange segments
• 1 teaspoons mandarin orange zest
• 2 teaspoons grand marnier
• ¼ cup water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and grand marnier. Whisk thoroughly, until combined.
• In a 9x13 pan, arrange brioche bread into 2 layers. Cut or break pieces as needed to fit.
• Pour custard over the bread and press lightly to ensure full saturation. Let bread marinate for about 10 minutes.
• Next, place the 9x13 in a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan, around the casserole (be careful not to let the water get into the custard). Water should reach about ½ way up the 9x13 pan.
• Cover the entire roasting pan with foil and poke a few holes for ventilation.
• Place, carefully, into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake an additional 45 minutes or until french toasted is puffed and golden on top.

Meanwhile prepare the mandarin orange syrup.

• In a small saucepan combine maple syrup, mandarin orange segments, zest, grand marnier, and water.
• Bring to a simmer; stir with a wooden spoon and gently break apart the mandarin orange pieces to release their juices.
• Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until mixture reduces and oranges are partially broken down.
• To serve, spoon syrup with orange segments over individual french toast portions.