The Best French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

Casserole

• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for greasing the pan
• 1 yesterday's brioche (approximately 450 g)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Topping

• 0.5 cup unsalted butter
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 0.5 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ripe but firm bananas, sliced ​​about 0.5cm thick.
• 0.5 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

1. Grease a 22x32cm baking dish with butter.
   

   Casserole:

2. Trim the tops of one day-old brioche loaf and cut it into ten 2cm-thick slices. Cut each slice in half diagonally, creating two triangles from each piece. (If the bread is fresh, toast it slightly. Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 150°C for 10 minutes, turning once.)
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dip each bread triangle into the egg mixture, lightly coating each side. Arrange the slices overlapping each other in the prepared pan.
4. Pour the remaining cream over the bread slices. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), remove the casserole from the refrigerator, and let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the French toast until golden and fluffy and the custard is set, 45-50 minutes.
   

   Topping:

6. In a medium nonstick skillet, combine the butter, sugar, and maple syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter melts and the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, a pinch of salt, and walnuts, stirring to coat. Turn off the heat and add the sliced ​​bananas, stirring to coat evenly. Spoon the desired amount of banana-nut mixture onto the casserole dish, and set any remaining mixture aside.