Make Ahead French Toast Soufflé

Do you ever get sick of plain old French toast? Me neither, but this French toast soufflé will make all other French toasts green with envy. This is a super simple, make ahead French toast soufflé that is prepared the night before, giving you plenty of time to hang out with friends or family at a brunch or on a lazy Sunday morning.

My mother-in-law made this famous in our family, and now I make it when I'm entertaining friends for brunch. Like I said, it's super simple, and it's super delicious. The original recipe that I was given calls for a large loaf of Italian bread, but I've substituted a large loaf of challah. I use Cheryl Ann's but any good challah will do. Here's the recipe, enjoy!

Make Ahead French Toast Soufflé
1 large loaf of challah - sliced 1-inch thick
Butter or butter substitute - spread over both sides of the dry sliced bread
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla
3 cups low fat milk (Lactaid, plain soy milk or hemp milk okay)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat together with sugar, vanilla, milk and nutmeg. Spray a 9x12 baking dish with non-stick spray and arrange the buttered challah in the dish. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, cover, and refrigerate over night.

Next day, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.Take the baking dish out of the fridge and uncover. Carefully flip the pieces of bread trying not to break them. You want both sides of the bread to soak up the eggy goodness. Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and puffy. Serve with your favorite toppings like powdered confectioners sugar and maple syrup. Fresh berries compliment the sweet French toast very well. I like mine with fresh raspberries and blackberries.

Happy Eating!
Author's note: I'm raising money for the The Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to support my ride in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge bike ride. Will you make a donation to support the advancement of cancer research and administration of life-saving cancer treatments?