This warm and sweet casserole-style French toast bake can be prepared a night ahead and baked off fresh in the morning! The cinnamon raisin bread, apples, brown sugar, and pecans mix and mingle in the oven, making for a meal that you'll want to dig into right away.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9” x 13” baking pan. Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Rip or cut the full loaf of bread into small pieces, about 2” x 2”, and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add apples and brown sugar. Cook, stirring often, on medium heat until apples are slightly softened and no clumps of sugar remain (about 5-10 minutes). There should be a thin brown syrup in the bottom of the pot when the apples are ready.
4. Once cooked, dump apples and any liquid from the pot into the bowl with the bread chunks, and stir until the apples and bread are evenly mixed.
5. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared pan, and spread into an even layer.
6. Pour egg mixture into the pan, and press bread and apples down until mostly covered by the liquid. If using, sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the surface. (If preparing a day ahead, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight at this time, then remove the foil before baking in the morning.)
7. Bake for 45-55 minutes, uncovered, until surface is well-browned, has puffed up to, or over, the top of the pan, and the surface feels firm and springs back when gently pressed (if surface starts to get too dark, gently tent the top of the pan with foil). Please note that the bake will be puffed up when it comes out of the oven, and then collapse down as it cools which is perfectly normal.
8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Store in the refrigerator.