Pear and Brown Sugar French Toast Casserole

I'm not not saying that this recipe is my favorite recipe of all time. I'll also not deny the fact that I almost ate the entire thing in one sitting. It's just that good. Pears are the underdog of the fall season, and when they're sautéed with butter, brown sugar, and poured over challah soaked in a maple syrup, milk, and egg mixture, baked to perfection, you get the utmost delectable breakfast treat you could dream of. I'm talking "oh my god have you tried this yet?!" kind of vibes. I absolutely love making this pear and brown sugar french toast casserole for friends, family, and it's actually very easy to prep ahead of time.

Now, if you're a diehard Nomaste Hungry fan, you know my love of breakfast runs deep. I'm definitely more of an egg and bacon type of breakfast gal, but when my sweet-tooth takes over, there's nothing else quite like french toast to satisfy my sweet craving. Sure, pancakes and waffles have a place on the table too (peep my pumpkin pancake recipe or my waffle recipe), but french toast just hits different. Making this pear and brown sugar french toast casserole takes minutes to prep and is absolutely amazing the next day. You don't need extra syrup on top either, the caramelized brown sugar on top with the pears in the sautéed sauce leaves the french toast moist, tender, and oozing with flavor. YASSSSS.

French Toast Casserole Tips:

• Rip up the challah bread (or brioche) into large chunks and throw into an oven-safe casserole dish. I like chunks of bread versus the slices of bread. Personal preference here, but you can certainly slice thick slices of challah or brioche and layer in to the dish lengthwise.
• When pouring the egg mixture, make sure you coat all the bread evenly. This will seep into the challah and help the bread get to that "eggy" french toast texture you desire when you think about french toast. Ugh, so good.
• Don't skimp on the brown sugar on top. Trust me. it tastes amazing. If you're not feeling brown sugar, coconut sugar will work well here too.
• If you don't want to use butter to sauté the apples, olive oil works well. I personally do not like using coconut oil, but by all means give it a shot.

I promise you when you make this pear and brown sugar french toast casserole for your family or bring it to a pot luck with friends for a Friendsgiving this year (YAY!), you'll be the Star Baker of the night, yes I am obsessed with GBBO don't judge me.