Cinnamon Apple French Toast Casserole

When my husband came home from a work trip with a big loaf of Challah bread, I had two ideas for how to use it.

Okay three, if you count eating it.

The first idea was to make your basic (but delicious) French toast with it. The other was to make a seasonal bread pudding.

What I ended up making was sort of a mix of the two: a cinnamon apple French toast casserole!

It’s seasonal (cinnamon apple), and it combined the bet of both French toast and bread pudding! I even added a strussel topping to really put it over the top!

How to Make It

First, chop up your Challah (or any type of plain bread) into medium-sized cubes. You will want to cut up about 4-5 cups of bread (or about 10-12 ounces).

Next, combine your French toast liquid and prepare the apples.

For the French toast, combine milk, eggs, maple syrup, and a little bit of cinnamon (or apple pie spice).

Use the remaining spice to toss with the granulated sugar and apples.

Pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread and give it a good toss so that all the bread cubes have a chance to soak up the liquid.

Then toss the apple pieces into the bread mixture so that there are little chunks of apple throughout.

Pour the mixture into square baking pan and top with the stussel (if you so desire).

The strussel is just a mixture of cold butter, flour, brown sugar, and spices that is “cut” together until it forms a crumb topping. I left my crumbs pretty large because I wanted the butter to melt in with the rest of the bread.

After about 30 minutes in the oven, you should have yourself a nice golden brown dish of cinnamon apple French toast!

Top it with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or even more cinnamon apples.

How ever you decide to eat it, enjoy it!

Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of Challah, cubed (about 10-12 oz.)

• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon, divided

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, divided

• 1 cup milk (preferably whole)

• 3 eggs

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Strussel Topping:

• 1/4 cup butter, cold and cubed

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar, and half the cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. To a large bowl add the bread. In a measuring cup, mix together milk, eggs, maple syrup, and remaining spices. Whisk until eggs are completely incorporated with the milk. Pour mixture over bread and toss.

4. Toss in the apple pieces then transfer mixture to a square baking dish.

5. In a medium bowl, add all strussel topping ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers to form into a crumb topping.

6. Sprinkle strussel over the French toast, then bake for about 30 minutes, or until it’s golden brown. Let cool on the counter for at least 5 minutes before serving.