Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Juicy berries, crunchy walnuts plus yummy cream cheese and warmed up maple syrup make this a fantastic breakfast or brunch dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day! 

It is an established fact that my family loves French Toast (or eggy bread as my British hubby would say) for breakfast and especially for brunch. I have a few versions of it including 3 in this blog! We surely cannot get enough of it. I have tried many variations of this delicious American-style stuffed French toast but the blueberry version is one of our favorites. It is just so wonderful to bite into this warm overnight-soaked baked bread and then into your mouth suddenly burst delicious juices from the berries! But that's not all - the almost melted cream cheese provides a delightful contrast of texture and flavor which makes your palate truly dance with joy! As if that's not enough, make it even better by drizzling your freshly baked french toast with warmed up pure Maple syrup and then help yourself with a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top to add extra sweetness and love! Aren't you hungry yet?

This version is good for about 4-6 servings. I only have a small family of 4 and to leave any guesswork every time I make it, I have finally decided to jot down my exact measurements and how I make it. Of course, this can easily be doubled when you are serving more. Just use a 9 x 13 baking dish instead. Please enjoy!

Ingredients

Butter (for greasing baking dish)
One loaf brioche or Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (about 12 oz),  cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 a block of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, halved then sliced into cubes
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup fresh Blueberries, plus an extra handful (separated)
4 large Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup firmly packed dark Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground  Nutmeg
1 pinch ground Cloves
3 Tablespoons melted Butter (to be used after baking)

To serve

Powdered sugar, for dusting
Pure maple syrup, for drizzling


Procedure

Butter or grease an  8 x 8  square baking dish. Place half the bread cubes in a single layer, filling in all the gaps.

Evenly scatter the cream cheese cubes, nuts, and blueberries on top. Cover completely with the remaining bread cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Evenly pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Gently press down on the cubes with your palms to allow the top layer of bread to absorb the liquid. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Meanwhile, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let sit for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. Bake the French toast covered for 20 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven, uncover and then take the remaining blueberries and gently press them into the bread evenly spreading them all over. Return to the oven and bake for another 18-20 minutes or until the cubes are nicely toasted and there’s no more liquid at the bottom.

Transfer the dish to a rack and drizzle the melted butter on top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to release the French toast. Cut into squares. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and warmed maple syrup drizzled on top. Enjoy this lavish breakfast or brunch dish!

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