I love a recipe you can prep in advance that doesn’t require a lot of work once my guests arrive. Just love spending time with my guests vs having them speak at my back while I’m making food.

One such recipe is this Blueberry French Toast Casserole that’s prepared the evening prior to your brunch and pop in the oven to bake while you’re entertaining.

It’s blueberry season now so I’m using that berry, but this dish is also great with sliced strawberries or blackberries. I use Quebec maple syrup but use any good quality syrup. I like making this with buttery croissants, but brioche of challah bread would be great also.

Ingredients:

• 12 cups croissants torn into bit size pieces (about 10 medium sized croissants)
• 10 large eggs
• 1 cup, plus more for serving
• 1 cup milk (not low-fat)
• 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, optional
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 2 Tbsp. confectionary sugar, optional

Directions:

1. Butter or coat with cooking spray a 9″x13″ baking dish. Add the croissants pieces to the casserole. It might seem like a lot of croissants, but after they soak into the custard overnight, the mixture will shrink some.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup of cream, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon (if using), and brown sugar. Whisk the mixture until fully blended, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the croissant pieces and push down on the croissant with a spatula to ensure all the pieces are soaking into the custard.
3. Add the blueberries, lemon zest (if using) and drizzle with the maple syrup.
4. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, or foil, and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 5 hours.
5. When ready to bake, turn oven on to 350 degrees F, allow to preheat then place the casserole in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the casserole top is golden brown (see pics for reference).
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Dust with confectionary sugar, if using.
7. Serve with additional maple syrup and a drizzle of cream.

Makes 10 servings.

Cheers,

Veronique