Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Casserole
Drizzle this make ahead breakfast casserole with maple syrup and eat with a fork or sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat with your fingers like French toast sticks. Less custardy than bread pudding, this make ahead recipe is perfect for breakfast, lunch or after school snack...just like a PB & J sandwich!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 297kcal
Cost: 6
Ingredients
- 12 slices thick-cut hearty white bread
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons grape jam or jelly
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Powdered sugar or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a 13x9 inch baking dish by coating with cooking spray or lightly greasing with butter.
- Spread a rounded tablespoonful of peanut butter on 6 slices of bread. Spread 1 level tablespoonful of jam or jelly on the other 6 slices of bread. I leave the crust on! Place the two slices of bread together to make sandwiches.
- With a serrated knife (steak knife will work), make one cut down the middle of each sandwich lengthwise. Then, make two crosswise cuts across the lengthwise cut. This will create 6 pieces.
- Starting at the short end, arrange 6 pieces across the short end, with the cut side up. Repeat this procedure with the remaining pieces.
- In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork or whisk. Gradually whisk in milk, then add sugar and salt. Drizzle this mixture slowly over the sandwich pieces until all pieces are coated. It’s ok if the mixture pools at the bottom. The bread will soak it up.
- Place butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH for 25 seconds. Stir gently until the butter is completely melted. Using a pastry brush, brush or drizzle melted butter over the sandwich pieces.
- Cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with maple syrup, if you like.
Notes
Substitutions:
- I prefer thick-cut bread because it soaks up the custard mixture without becoming soggy. Regular white bread can be used but just know it may not soak up all the mixture.
- French bread, sourdough bread and brioche bread can also be used. Just cut to 1/2 to 3/4 inch-thick slices.
- If you don't have whole milk, combine 3/4 cup half-and-half and 1/2 cup 2% milk or 1/2 cup whipping cream and 3/4 cup 2% or 1% milk. This won't be exactly the same as whole milk but will come close!
- If you prefer crunch peanut butter, it will work fine! Natural peanut butters should also work, just be sure to stir well before spreading on the bread.
- Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal