Baked Peach French Toast

Becca here with a really yummy breakfast or brunch recipe.  I'm definitely not a morning person, so I love dishes that can be prepared the night before, and just popped into the oven in the morning before serving.  A lot of times I go ahead and prepare the next morning's breakfast while fixing dinner, so I just have to clean up the kitchen once, and this recipe is perfect for that.  Plus, it tastes great & is a great hearty start to your day.  For the bread, I used my 'regular' whole wheat bread that I tore into a few large chunks and set into the oven for twenty minutes or so while dinner cooked so it would dry out a bit and have a nice crunch to it, since the original recipe that was my inspiration called for day old French Bread.  You could use that, although I'd definitely recommend a 100% whole grain instead.  I love that the casserole forms its' own syrup too, it would be a perfect "all in one" dish to take to a potluck.  My kids said it reminded them of bread pudding, so you could even serve it as a dessert.  Using the whole wheat bread makes it quite filling, my family of 5 can easily eat this twice, with a bit leftover even.  Enjoy!

Peach French Toast

1 cup brown sugar (I like dark)
1/2 cup butter
2 Tablespoons water
3-4 cups diced peaches (29 oz. canned, drained are fine, as are frozen, as I used here)
8 cups day-old toasted whole grain bread, or french bread, torn into large bite-sized pieces
5 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine brown sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour the brown sugar/butter mixture into a 9x13 baking pan, and tilt it until mixture covers the bottom evenly.  Top with peaches in an even layer, then spread bread evenly on top as well.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla.  Pour over bread to coat evenly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, I always do overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator a few minutes before ready to bake.  Place into the cold oven, preheat oven to 350, and set timer for 35 minutes.  Check to see if it is golden brown on top, and center is set.  Depending on the type of bread and peaches you use, it may require an additional 5-10 minutes baking time. 

Let cool a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!