Get a jump start on the day by preparing breakfast the night before with this Overnight Berry French Toast.

Overnight Berry French Toast - Get a jump on the day by making breakfast the night before with this Overnight Berry French Toast, studded with strawberries, blackberries, & cream cheese.

Despite my obsession with breakfast, I am not a morning person.

Being in the workforce and then having children means getting up early is a given, but if I had my druthers I’d be sleeping until 9 every morning, stretching and waking slowly like a cat rather than with an alarm clock, a screaming baby, or a bounding 6-year-old. (Isn’t it funny how 9 a.m. seems so luxurious after you’ve had kids?)

Not wanting to get up in the morning means not wanting to make the breakfasts I long to eat. The whole family loves muffins, pancakes, breakfast tacos, waffles, and the rest of the classics.

It’s not that these take a lot of time to make, it’s just that they take longer than toast, and when tummies are grumbling, other kinds of grumbling is sure to follow.

That’s why this overnight berry French toast is such a winner. All the grunt work is done the night before when you’re still brimming with thoughts from the day — I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m at my most optimistic right before bed — and then is popped into the oven when you wake up.

I actually like this casserole French toast version better than the standard French toast. Every bit of bread gets coated while it sleeps in the fridge, and the crisp edges of the cubes on top give way to tender custarded bread underneath.

If you enjoy stuffed French toast, this casserole is ideal because it’s studded with not just two kinds of fruit, but cubes of cream cheese for a burst of tang among the sweet.

overnight berry french toast - Get a jump start on the day by preparing breakfast the night before with this Overnight Berry French Toast.

All in all, it’s a pretty fantastic breakfast, but you wouldn’t be remiss to serve it for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream and a few blueberries. Skip the pie this year and get your red, white, and blue with breakfast!

Overnight Berry French Toast

Name: Overnight Berry French Toast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 8 h 55 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 loaf challah bread; 5 eggs; 1 1/4 cups whole milk; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 1/2 cups blackberries or blueberries; 1 1/2 cups strawberries, diced; 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Fridge Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 55 minutes

Get a jump start on the day by preparing breakfast the night before with this Overnight Berry French Toast.

Ingredients

1 loaf challah bread
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups blackberries or blueberries
1 1/2 cups strawberries, diced
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes

Instructions

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
Slice challah bread into cubes and put into a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Pour egg mixture over the bread and stir to coat.
Gently in blackberries, strawberries, and cream cheese.
Pour mixture into prepared pan, making sure bread has been evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 40 minutes.