Blueberry French Toast Casserole with Whipped Cream and Strawberries
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- plus extra for buttering the dish
- One 1-pound day-old loaf challah or white bread
- unsliced
- Two 6-ounce containers blueberries (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- One 16-ounce container strawberries
- sliced
- One 6-ounce container raspberries
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Confectioners sugar, for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Slice the bread into 3/4-to-1-inch-thick slices.
- If your bread is very fresh, lightly toast the slices before assembling.
- Tile all the bread in the dish, each slice overlapping the next.
- Scatter the blueberries over the bread, letting some fall to the bottom of the dish.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup cream, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, almond extract and salt in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour over the bread and berries and press gently to help the bread start soaking in the egg mixture.
- Cut the 2 tablespoons butter into small pieces and dot over the top of the casserole.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove and discard the plastic wrap.
- Bake the casserole until golden brown and set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes, tenting with foil if the bread starts to become too dark.
- Let stand 10 minutes.
- Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
- While the casserole bakes, toss the strawberries and raspberries with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a medium bowl and let stand until juicy.
- Before serving, whip the remaining 3/4 cup cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Serve the casserole with a dollop of whipped cream and a generous spoonful of the berries with their juices.
- Serves: 6 to 8