Blueberry Almond French Toast Casserole...

I’m always on the lookout for recipes you can make and bake later. I thought this would be a perfect blend of my love of blueberries and bread pudding. You can make it the night before, and bake in the morning! Perfect as breakfast for a bunch, brunch or for dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Enjoy!  Rose Victoria

Blueberry Almond French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 (24-inch) loaf of French bread
6 large eggs
zest from 1 lemon
3 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup melted butter

Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Slice french bread into 1-inch slices and place standing up in rows, then tilting bread so they lay stacked at an angle. To make the custard~ In a large bowl add: eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, brown sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk together until well blended. Pour over french bread slices. Cover casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, until custard is completely absorbed.

Next morning, remove casserole from refrigerator and check to see if custard is completely absorbed. If not, turn over bread slices into remaining custard and let stand for 20 minutes. Sprinkle blueberries over and between bread slices. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of sliced almonds. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place casserole in the oven and immediately turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake 45-55 minutes, until blueberries pop and bread is browned. Watch carefully the last 10 minutes for over browning.
Serve with maple syrup or  Blueberry Syrup. Enjoy!