Bananas Foster French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

FOR THE CARAMELIZED BANANAS:
6 tablespoons butter unsalted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas peeled and sliced

FOR THE CUSTARD:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
8 large eggs
1 cup milk whole
1 cup half and half
15 ounces french bread cut into cubes

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
3 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flour

Instructions

TO MAKE CARAMELIZED BANANAS:

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt to melted butter and stir until combined. Mixture will begin to bubble. Continue to cook for a couple more minutes until mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from heat and add bananas. Toss bananas to coat them in the caramel. Set aside to cool.

TO ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE:

1. Add cinnamon, vanilla extract, and brown sugar to a large bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth. Add eggs, milk, and half and half. Whisk to break up the eggs and mix together with the other ingredients.
2. Grease a large casserole dish or rectangle baking pan (13x9 inches). Add half of the bread cubes to the dish. Spread half of the caramelized bananas over the bread cubes in the dish. Top with the remaining bread cubes.
3. Pour custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Lightly press the bread cubes down so that they absorb more of the custard mixture. Top with the remaining caramelized bananas and spread evenly over the bread cubes. If making the night before, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to sit overnight. If making the morning-of, let it sit on the counter for 2 hours.

TO MAKE TOPPING:

1. An hour or so before baking, make the crumb topping. Mix melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until smooth. Add flour to mixture and combine with a spoon. It won't resemble crumbs yet so don't worry. Refrigerate until it's time to bake the casserole.
2. Once most of the custard has been absorbed by the bread, it's time to bake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole and crumb mixture from the fridge. Grab a handful of the crumb mixture and crumble it evenly over the casserole. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
3. Bake uncovered casserole in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, depending on the consistency you like. Bake longer for a crispier french toast and less for a more wet french toast.
4. Serve immediately with syrup, whipped cream, or both!

Notes: Brittany made this for my birthday breakfast. We used to have a bit of a tradition of making French Toast casseroles of various kinds on birthdays, but had not done so recently. I like this one! Definitely tasty, although I think Baked Pumpkin French Toast may still be my favorite. One challenge this time was that we already had tons of food in the house for the holidays and so no one helped me eat any of the leftovers.

Source: Certified Pastry Aficionado