Chocolate-Covered Strawberry French Toast Casserole
Original Recipe by Ashley Ortiz
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks, divided
5 cups bread, sliced into 1-inch cubes
6 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 tablespoon sugar
- For Strawberry Cheesecake Filling (optional):
1/3 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Directions
- Slice bread into 1-inch cubes, and set aside.
- Cut each strawberry by first slicing away the left side of the berry and then the right, so you are left with a thick strawberry slice and two additional strawberry pieces.
- Place the strawberry slices on a plate lined with paper towel, and dice the remaining strawberry pieces into small chunks.
- Place the strawberry chunks in a separate bowl along with 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix to macerate the strawberries.
- Pat the individual strawberry slices dry with a paper towel.
- Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chunks over a double boiler or in a microwave in 10-second intervals.
- Dip the strawberry slices into melted chocolate, and refrigerate until hardened.
- While the strawberries are refrigerating, make your strawberry cheesecake filling by combining cream cheese, strawberry jam, powdered sugar, and milk.
- Once all the fillings are ready, begin to assemble your french-toast casserole. Each layer should start with an even coating of bread, a spoonful of macerated strawberries, chocolate chunks, a drizzle of strawberry jam, a few dollops of strawberry cheesecake filling, and 2-3 chocolate-covered strawberry slices. Continue building the layers until your casserole is piled high and all your fillings are gone.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and maple syrup until thoroughly combined.
- Pour egg and milk mixture evenly over the casserole, making sure each piece of bread is coated in the custard.
- Cover casserole with foil, and refrigerate for as long as possible (we recommend refrigerating overnight) to ensure the custard is fully absorbed into the bread chunks.
- Once the custard is fully absorbed, preheat your oven to 375°F and place the aluminum-covered casserole in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the center of the casserole reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown.
- Let the casserole cool before dusting with powdered sugar and serving. Enjoy with maple syrup or your topping of choice.
Information
- Category
- Breakfast/Brunch
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Prep Time
- 1 hour
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time
- 2 hours, 29 minutes, 59 seconds