I always loved the concept of an overnight french toast casserole – toss it all together and stow it in the fridge the night before a holiday breakfast or brunch, then just shove it in to bake the next morning while you start working on your all-important mimosa drinking family time.
Genius. Except they all seemed so sicky-sweet during Pinterest research. Not really my breckie M.O….. what’s a girl to do?
WING IT, OF COURSE!
The general concept is simple, it just needed Keri-ing up a bit.
I love bacon. I love bourbon. I think blueberries are swell and it never hurts to incorporate them into breakfast, yes? (Trust me. Yes.)
What You Need
½ cup butter 1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon (seems sad to use such a small measuring device for bourbon)
6 oz fresh blueberries
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 loaf old French bread (a bit stale, not ANCIENT) cut into 1 and ½ inch slices (depending on your loaf, you may need extra – enough to cover the bottom of a 9-13 baking pan.)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
What You Do
-Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat, and then add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to bubble and thicken, stirring regularly (don’t walk away from this, it all happens quick,) for 2 minutes.
-Remove from heat, add in 2 tablespoons of the bourbon and stir again.
– Spray the bottom of a 9”-13” baking pan lightly with nonstick spray, then pour the sugar/butter/bourbon mix into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly over the bottom.
-Sprinkle ½ of the blueberries and ½ of the bacon crumbles evenly over the mixture in the bottom of the pan.
-create a single layer of bread slices, close enough to be touching each other, on top of the blueberries and bacon you just sprinkled In the pan. (Or see note at * below.)
– in a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, remaining bourbon, vanilla, and nutmeg until completely blended.
-Slowly and evenly pour the mixture over the bread.
* Alternatively, you can dip each slice of bread before laying it in the pan to ensure even coverage, but Keri is kind of lazy.
-Sprinkle the remaining berries and bacon over the top, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
-in the morning, take the cold pan out of the fridge, set it (still covered) in the cold oven, and turn the oven to 350. Bake for 1 hour.
YES! (See, I told you.)
Eat, Drink, and be Keri 