Do you still have a few leftovers from a late Christmas celebration? This indulgent brunch dish is designed to use up leftover holiday eggnog and cranberry sauce. If you don’t have any eggnog left in the house, substitute with 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1/2 a cup of whipping cream (and you can always buy canned cranberry sauce if you don’t have any homemade leftover).
Eggnog French Toast Bake
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 loaf crusty French bread, cubed
8 eggs
2 cups eggnog
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Spray a 9” x 13” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and continue heating until butter is melted. Give it a good stir and pour into the bottom of the baking pan. Place the bread cubes into baking pan on top of the sugar mixture.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until yolks are broken up. Add the eggnog, followed by the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until combined and pour evenly over the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or over night.
In the morning, preheat oven to 325 degrees F and remove the baking dish from the refrigerator (take off the plastic wrap). Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the casserole comes out clean.
Cranberry sauce syrup
1/3 cup cranberry sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp molasses
½ tsp orange zest
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Serves 8-10
