Looking for a mouthwatering way to use up that stale bread? This Savory French Toast Casserole is cheesy, buttery, and will breathe new life into that stale bread!
It’s easy to make, feeds 6-8, and is dangerously addictive. A fun new twist to the classic French Toast, this Savory Casserole will impress your taste buds with its comfort-food flavors.
As an environmental scientist, I’m always trying to keep the issue of food waste front of mind. And when avoiding food waste tastes this good, I think it’s something we can all get behind.
Savory French Toast Casserole Tips and Tricks
Melt Your Butter
The first thing you will want to do after pre-heating the oven is melt your butter. You can melt it over the stove, in the oven, or if you’re lazy like me, just chuck it in the microwave.
Add your stick of butter to a microwave-safe bowl (I just use my glass measuring cup) and microwave on high in 30-second intervals. Stir in between, and just keep heating until the butter completely liquefies. Simple as that!
Green tip: Look for organic and palm oil-free butter if you can. Buying organic means you are supporting farms that do not use damaging pesticides and fertilizers, and palm oil production is a huge driver behind deforestation.
Outside of the butter, you’ll need just a few more ingredients, most of which you will probably already have in your pantry or fridge.
Here’s everything you’ll need:
Whisk It Up
While your butter is melting, you can get started on your egg wash. Dice your scallions and add them to a medium-sixed mixing bowl with all 6 eggs, and the milk, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Whisk it well so it’s nice and smooth.
Cube The Bread
The next step is cubing the bread. You can use any bread for this recipe. You’ll need a whole loaf of any bread you choose. If your loaf is whole, slice it into pieces about 1-inch thick.
If your bread is already sliced, it’s as easy as slicing it into 4 roughly equal parts vertically, then rotating it and slicing it into roughly thirds as pictured below.
The Order of Events
Grab a 9×13-inch casserole dish. First, add the melted butter and place cubed bread pieces on top. Next, you’ll pour the egg wash mixture over the bread, trying to evenly distribute it as much as you can.
Next comes the cheese. Cover all the bread evenly to make a top layer of cheese. It’ll get bubbly and brown in the oven, creating a layer of cheese that will lock the moisture into the bread (you’ll never even know it was stale!).
I use sharp cheddar when I make this and it’s out of this world! But if you have another cheese preference—go for it! I recommend using a low moisture cheese rather than something with a lot of liquid, like mozzarella or brie, for best results.
Green tip: Bread is one of the most wasted food products in the U.S. because of our tendency to throw it out as soon as it’s stale. Reduce your contribution to food waste by re-vamping your stale bread with this Savory French Toast Casserole!
Should You Have Leftovers
This Savory French Toast Casserole is meant to feed 6-8, although I did warn you of it’s addictive nature. But if you do have incredible willpower and happen to have leftovers—I got you!
Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or the freezer for up to a month. Reheating it is a breeze.
From the fridge, reheat a single serving on a frying pan for about 5 minutes on each side, until thoroughly heated through. You can also reheat it in the toaster or the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes from the refrigerator or 15 minutes from frozen.
The microwave will work in a pinch, but does tend to make it a little soggy.
Why You Should Make This Savory French Toast Casserole
- It has a melty outer layer of cheese. That bubbles and browns as you cook it. YUM!
- It’s buttery and pillowy on the inside. That cheese layer locks the moisture from the egg and butter into that bread.
- It’s resourceful. You’ll never throw stale bread away again!
If you’re loving this Savory French Toast Casserole and are looking for more fun brunch ideas, check out this Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and these Bananas Foster Pancakes.
Savory French Toast Casserole with Chives
PRINT PIN RATEIngredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1/2 cup usually = 1 stick)
- 1 loaf bread of choice (it's okay if it's stale!)
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp)
- 5 to 6 fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Add butter to microwave-safe dish and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.
- Meanwhile, cut your bread into cubes, about 1-inch long on each side. Dice your shallots.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, diced shallots, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Pour melted butter into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Pour cubed bread on top.
- Next, pour your egg mixture on top of the bread, making sure to coat all of it.
- Top with cheese as evenly as you can and bake for 25 minutes, until cheese starts to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack. Garnish with chopped chives and serve warm.
Pro Tips
- You can sub onions or even garlic for shallots—or leave it out together and just top with scallions or fresh chives.
- You can use any kind of bread and any kind of low-moisture cheese of your choice and still get similar results.
- This is a great recipe to use up stale bread!
- Can’t get enough French Toast? Check out this list of my best French Toast Recipes—Ouh là là!
