Easy French Toast Baking Recipe will impress at your next brunch

Easy French Toast Baking Recipe will impress at your next brunch. For You News Sports Entertainment Life Money Tech Travel Opinion

Charissa Kennedy

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This Orange Cranberry French Toast Casserole uses winter flavors in an unexpected new way. It’s a morning meal that’s a lot more fun than muffins — and maybe easier.

You can make this the night before, maybe even while you’re making fresh cranberry sauce, and your breakfast or brunch will be an absolute winner!

A few tips before you start:

• Reserve the zest of at least one orange and set aside the zest for the egg mixture.
• Cut the croissants in half and place half on a large baking pan. Spread half of the cranberries, orange slices and crumbled goat cheese evenly between the croissant layers. Add the remaining croissants and top with the remaining oranges, cranberries and goat cheese.
• Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients to keep everything from getting soggy. That’s ideal. You get the pudding-like French toast casserole on most of the dish, while leaving some of the croissants nicely toasted on top. This adds texture that separates the dish from layers and bread pudding.

ORANGE CRANBERRY FRENCH TOAST BUY

Power: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 12 fresh croissants (medium), cut in half
• 2 cups whole cranberries
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 12 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 tbsp orange zest (peel of an orange)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
• icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

1. Lightly coat 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
2. Microplane orange peel of an orange. Put aside.
3. Peel and slice two oranges. Put aside.
4. Unwrap the goat cheese and crumble with a sharp knife. Put aside.
5. Halve the croissants.
6. Spread 12 croissant halves evenly in a casserole dish. Top with half the orange slices, cranberries and goat cheese and spread evenly.
7. Top with the remaining 12 croissant halves and repeat with the remaining orange slices, cranberries and goat cheese.
8. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, orange zest, vanilla, and salt.
9. Pour the mixture evenly over the pan. Cover with foil and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight.
10. Take the casserole dish out of the fridge; Leave for 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 350 F.
12. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until center is set.
13. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

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