This recipe makes 8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 1 (8 ounce) loaf crusty French bread, cut into bite-sized pieces, or more as needed

• 2 cups milk

• 6 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Directions:

• Cut bread into cubes and let sit out on a baking sheet overnight to “stale”

• Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

• Make the French toast: Stir brown sugar and butter together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved, 2 to 4 minutes.

• Pour butter-brown sugar mixture into the prepared baking dish. 

• Scatter French bread pieces over top in a 1 1/2- to 2-inch layer.

• Whisk milk, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl until well combined. Pour over bread pieces, then press bread down with a spatula so the bread absorbs the liquid. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.

• When ready to bake, remove French toast from the refrigerator and discard plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• Make topping: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the French toast.

• Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes, covering with aluminum foil at any point if the top is browning too much.

I like to serve this with fresh berries and syrup.