Easy Sour Cream Cranberry French Toast Casserole

Thanks to this Sour Cream Cranberry French Toast Casserole, your holiday mornings just got even better!

Why I love this Cranberry French Toast Casserole

You may remember that I have another overnight french toast casserole recipe that I have made for years on Christmas morning. This cranberry version though… It might have upstaged the original! It is really so good, and you can even make it with gluten-free bread! I used a combo of spelt and gluten-free sandwich bread, but you could use one or the other or use normal wheat bread. It would be so good with a loaf of sourdough bread if you can eat that sort of thing. Enjoy an extra piece for me!

Cranberry recipes are usually reserved for the holiday season (boo), but you could make this any time of year with other fruits too! It would be the bomb diggity with blueberries or strawberries, maybe even diced peaches! I say the sky’s the limit. Let me know how you make yours! xo

French Toast Casserole: an easy holiday breakfast

When it comes to the holidays breakfasts need to be easy. Whether you are entertaining friends and family or simply ensuring your little ones get some food in their bellies so they don’t melt down with all the excitement, this recipe is perfect. Here are the top 5 reasons this recipe should be in your holiday breakfast rotation:

1. It does not need to sit overnight. Many french toast casseroles and stratas need to sit in the fridge for several hours or overnight. This makes them easy the day of but it also means that you need to take up a lot of fridge space with a casserole pan. This recipe can be made the morning of or in advance like typical overnight french toast casseroles. The flexibility makes all the difference.
2. It can be made with the fruit of your choice. Cranberries are perfect for the holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving, however, not everyone loves the flavor. You can use 1 cup of any berry or even a cup of diced ripe fruit such as plums, pears, or even pineapple.
3. It can be a gluten-free breakfast. Substitute gluten-free bread for regular, and you have a wonderful gluten-free breakfast. Trust me, no one will know the difference, and your gluten-free relative will be very appreciative.
4. It is great hot, cold or room temperature. This recipe does not need to be eaten right out of the oven. It is fine to sit on the table and cool to room temperature. This means you have more time to worry about more sensitive dishes like scrambled eggs. It can even be enjoyed cold with hot syrup or a warm fruit sauce.
5. It is almost just as good the next day. This recipe keeps well in the fridge so you can simply microwave it for leftovers or pop it in the oven. See more on storing and reheating below.

Three Holiday Breakfast Tips and Tricks

Holidays can be stressful and chaotic. As a result we want to do everything we can to ensure our family is fed in order to prevent people from getting hangry or upset because they need some food. I also want to esnure meals are ready on time so my kids dont resort to eating cookies or sneaking candy canes off the Christmas tree. Whether doing a holiday breakfast for a small or large group here are my top three holiday breakfast tips and tricks to help keep the stress down and bellies full.

1. Plan ahead. I know this is obvious but with the whirlwind of excitment and endless things we need to do around the holidays I cannot stress this enough. I like to plan out a full menu for the days surround Thanksgiving and Christmas to make sure I have all my meals accounted for. If you need a holiday cooking guide check out this Thanksgiving Cooking Schedule from My Kitchen Escapades.
2. Keep it simple. Holiday breakfasts can be fancy without being complicated. This french toast casserole is the perfect example. The addition of cranberries and sour cream make this recipe rich and delicous but it is easy to make and does not require a lot of special incredients.
3. Get ahead. I like to prep my recipes in advance during down times. It is easy to have somone pull apart bread while watching football. You can also pre-mix dry and wet ingredients and keep them in airtight containers in the supboard or fridge so they are ready to go.

French Toast Casserole Recipe Substitutions and Modifications

When it comes to making french toast casseroles there are a lot of different substitutions and modifications you can make depending on what you have on hand and your tastes and flavor preferences.

• Fresh cranberries can be substituted with fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, diced plums, diced apricots, or diced pineapple. Really any berry or ripe stone fruit. You can also substitute frozen fruit for fresh. Just let the fruit thaw before baking.
• Sour cream can be substituted with cream cheese or yogurt.
• Cinnamon can be substituted with ground clove, allspice or pumpkin pie spice.
• Want extra cranberry flavor, then drizzle it with cranberry syrup.
• Want an alternative to maple syrup try a sweet homemade demerera syrup.

How to store and reheat leftover french toast casserole

One of the reasons this breakfast recipe is so great during the holidays is that it is great the next day for breakfast or even the following night for dessert. Here are the steps you should take to when storing and reaheating.

• Storing french toast casserole in the fridge – cut the leftover casserole into managable portions and then transfer to an airtight container or ziplock bags. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheating french toast casserole – you can reheat the casserole in the microwave in short 20 second increments but I recommend heating it in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. Pro Tip: add a little drizzle of half and half on top to help keep it moist.
• Storing french toast casserole in the freezer – cut the leftover casserole into managable or intdividual portions and then transfer to an airtight containers or freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
• Reheating frozen french toast casserole – allow the casserole to defrost in the fridge overnight if possible. Reheat the french toast in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. Pro Tip: add a little drizzle of half and half on top to help keep it moist. If heating from frozen add another 15-20 minutes or so.

How to make this recipe as an overnight french toast casserole

If you want to make this recipe as an overnight french toast casserole it is very easy to do so. Simply follow the recipe through step 4. Then cover the french toast casserole with foil and place it in the fridge. All the french toast casserole to sit in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours. Then remove the casserole from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Then bake the casserole in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

What is the difference if I let the casserole sit in the fridge overnight?

There are two main differences in how the french toast casserole will turn out depending on whether you let it sit overnight or for only 20 minutes before baking.

• The overnight casserole will have more of a bread pudding texture. The bread will have been able to absorb more of the milk and egg mixture and will as a result develop a softer consistency. It will then keep some of that pudding-like consistency after baking. If you like consistency that is a little firmer and closer to actual french toast I recommend not having it sit overnight.
• The overnight version will have a little more nuanced flavor. The flavors will mellow and come together overnight and you will not get as distinct a vanilla flavor and the cranberry (or other fruit) flavor will be more throughout instead of punctuated where the berries are.

Sour Cream Cranberry French Toast Casserole

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Your weekend and holiday mornings just got even better thanks to this Sour Cream Cranberry French Toast Casserole! You can also try this breakfast recipe with blueberries, strawberries, or other fruits!

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 10 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound bread cut into 1” cubes sandwich bread OR French bread
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk

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Instructions

1. Spray a 13 x 9″ baking dish with cooking spray. Spread bread evenly into the dish, and sprinkle cranberries evenly over that. Jiggle the pan a bit so some of the cranberries fall down between the bread.
2. In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon into the melted butter.
3. Whisk the sour cream into the butter mixture. Next, whisk in the eggs, making sure all the yolks are blended in completely. Finally, whisk in the milk until evenly combined.
4. Evenly pour the egg mixture over the bread and cranberries. Use a spatula to press the bread down to soak up all the liquid.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, allow the prepared casserole to rest on the counter. (This step should take 10-15 minutes.)
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm with maple syrup if desired.

• Author: Andi
• Prep Time: 10
• Passive: 15
• Cook Time: 45

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Do you like talking on the phone? I can’t really begin to tell you how much I hate it. It’s funny because as a tween, I couldn’t get enough time on the phone with my friends! I’m not sure when I started to loathe it so much, but I think it was when texting, email, and other electronic communication took off. Typing is SO much more convenient and efficient than a phone call if you ask me.

I’m so bad about avoiding phone calls that there are things in life I procrastinate or skip entirely if they require actually speaking to a human on the telephone. I’ll put off cancelling accounts or making appointments, forgo ordering items, or even decline blog opportunities if a phone call is required to make it happen. It’s bad, y’all.

Clearly, since I’ve chosen blogging for a job, I’m not the most extroverted person in the world. I would much prefer to be home alone or with my family than out with people. I would rather carefully compose and time my messages electronically instead of being put on the spot for an unknown amount of time on the telephone. I know I’m not alone in this because there are TONS of memes and jokes like the one above. Where do you fall in your love (or hate) of talking on the phone? Let’s talk about it in the comments :)

What does all this have to do with this flippin’ amazing Sour Cream Cranberry French Toast Casserole? Absolutely nothing. Sorry! I’ll just say I’m happy that I can tell you about it in a blog post instead of having to call you about it!（＾v＾）