Overnight French Toast

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 loaf brioche or challah, cut into 1 1/2-inch slices
• 8 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish, overlapping if necessary.
2. Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices. Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.
3. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
4. In the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheat your oven to 350°F.
5. Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes. If top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 minutes or so to keep the casserole from drying out.
6. Remove casserole from oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.