French Toast Apple Bake

serves six or so

In our Sunday School class, we take turns bringing in breakfast for the class. I like things we can make ahead. After our first experience with the Breakfast Pizza, we decided that trying to prepare everything the morning of just creates too much stress (and yelling). Today was our turn again so we made this. It has absolutely no redeeming qualities ... which means that of course it was delicious.

Side note: Putting a cookie sheet underneath the pan to catch overflow while cooking is a good idea. Letting it overflow and THEN putting a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven results in an oven fire :) Just so you know. (And just in case you're in the kitchen taking the kids out of their high chairs and you look over and see flames in your oven, FIRST turn off the oven (DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR) and then unfasten the kids as fast as possible and shove them in the living room to go yell for Daddy. And once the fire is out and cleaned up ... put some bowls of vinegar around your house and in your oven to absorb the smoke smell.)

3/4 C butter, melted
1 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (more, if your palate pleases)
2 (21 oz) cans apple pie filling
15 to 18 slices white bread
8 eggs
1 3/4 to 2 C milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup (for later)


Grease/Pam/Butter a 9X13 baking dish

Pour butter into the dish and then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon into the dish.

Top with the apple pie filling.

In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla

Layer the bread slices on top of the apple pie filling, pressing down firmly so that they get all nice and smooshed down onto the apple pie/butter mixture. You can alternate layers of bread with pouring the egg mixture so that every layer is thoroughly saturated. Make sure that you pour SLOWLY, so as to avoid spillovers

Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Uncover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Drizzle with syrup and put in the broiler for a few minutes to caramelize.