French Toast Casserole

French toast casserole has saved me in a brunch pinch sooooooo many times!  It is filling, easy to make, and can be prepared the night before!  I figured I couldn't go wrong with it for a room of starving high school students after the homecoming dance.  They all really seemed to enjoy it, and we even had a little left the next morning for breakfast!  What I also love about french toast casserole is that you can adapt it.  I have made this with cream cheese cubes and blueberries through it, topped it with fruit sauce, and even have used cinnamon and sweet cheese bread instead of french loaves...remember to have fun with your recipes and make them unique and your own!

French Toast Cassserole 
Yields 10 servings

To Prepare the Casserole
1. Rip 2 large french bread loaves into pieces that are just a little bigger than 1 square inch, and put them in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, scramble 6 eggs. 
3. Add 2 cups of milk, 1/2 a cup of maple syrup, 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/2 a teaspoon of ginger to the eggs.  Blend it all together very well!
4. Pour the wet mixture over the bread, making sure that all of the bread is coated. 
5. Cover it and put it in the fridge either overnight or a few hours before you want to serve it. 

To Finish the Casserole 
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour the bread mixture into the casserole dish, and spread it out evenly.

3. Melt 8 tablespoons of butter (1 stick).
4. Add 1 cup of brown sugar to the butter and mix it well.

5. Drizzle the brown sugar and butter mixture across the top of the casserole.
6. Bake the casserole for approximately 30 minutes, or until it is firm to the touch and the corners have started to brown just a bit!