It’s Monday! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Ours was quiet which was sweet. Today, I am sharing another one of my favorite easy casseroles. It can easily be prepped the night before and baked the next morning. It feeds a crowd, has a delicious pumpkin flavor, and a cinnamon streusel topping for a little crunch. It is PERFECT for Christmas morning!

Ingredients

French Toast Casserole

• 1 15-18 oz loaf of stale white bread* such as challah, French bread, or Brioche
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
• 5 large eggs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or make your own – see recipe notes
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted

Instructions

French Toast Casserole

• Lightly grease a 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking pan.
  
• Cut the loaf of bread into small cubes or rip into pieces with your hands. Place the bread in the prepared pan.
  
• In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, pumpkin spice and vanilla extract.
  
• Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread and gently stir (if needed) to ensure that the bread is evenly coated.
  

Streusel Topping

• In a medium bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin pie spice and chopped pecans.
  
• Stir in the melted butter.
  

If Baking Immediately

• Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
  
• Sprinkle/crumble the streusel over the French toast casserole.
  
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes covered. Then remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  

If Baking the Next Morning

• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight.
  
• Cover the bowl of streusel with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
  
• When ready to bake, remove from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
  
• Sprinkle the streusel over the French toast casserole.
  
• Bake covered with aluminum foil for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes.