KIM DAVIS: With the holidays fast approaching, my thoughts turn to "what am I going to feed my guests for breakfast?" A lot of cooked breakfasts require hands' on attention (I'm looking at you pancakes, waffles, and eggs) but I like something filling that can be made ahead of time so that I can enjoy my guests and the flowing mimosas or bottomless cups of coffee. Enter the Overnight Cranberry French Toast Casserole with a nod to the flavors of the season. Easy to assemble the night before you need it, all you need to do is add the cranberries and sprinkle the streusel topping on top and pop it in the oven. Before you know it, your guests will be digging into a hot breakfast and throwing compliments your way for feeding them well!
Be sure to scroll to the end to see how you can win a copy of Muddled Matrimonial Murder, the Thanksgiving-themed Cupcake Catering Mystery featuring this recipe. I know the cover doesn't give any hints about Thanksgiving but the wedding took precedence 😂
Serves 12
Ingredients
French Toast:
1 pound loaf, stale
rustic white bread cubed into 1-inch pieces (gluten-free bread may be
substituted)
2 cups milk (whole, 2%,
or almond milk)
4 eggs
1/4 cup pure maple
syrup
2 tablespoons brown
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1-1/2 cups fresh (or
frozen) cranberries, divided
Topping:
1/4 cup butter, cold
and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup old fashioned
rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 cup pecans, finely
chopped
Instructions
French Toast:
Spritz a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking
spray, then add the cubed bread to the dish. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, maple
syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon together until thoroughly combined.
Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread. Press the
bread down into the liquid with the back of a spatula, until bread becomes
partly saturated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Topping:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the brown
sugar, rolled oats, salt, cinnamon, and pecans. Using a pastry cutter or two
forks, work the cold butter into the mixture until blended. Cover with plastic
wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Putting it together:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and stir
the saturated bread to help soak up any egg mixture that may have puddled on
the bottom of the dish. Top with 1 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries and stir
to combine. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cranberries over the top of the
casserole.
Scatter the topping over the casserole.
Bake uncovered for 35 - 45 minutes, or until edges
and topping are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes
before serving with additional maple syrup.
Note:
If using frozen cranberries, do not defrost first.
When cupcake caterer Emory Martinez takes on a lavish DÃa de los Muertos party, she’s drawn into a twenty-year-old family tragedy. With extravagant Day of the Dead costumes, drinks flowing, desserts galore, and a celebration in full swing, not all is as joyous as it may seem. When the festivities come to a close, Emory discovers a body, and evidence points to her being the prime suspect. To clear her name, she and her octogenarian soon-to-be grandmother-in-law, Tillie, must team up with their friends to navigate a web of blackmail, betrayal, and buried secrets. Will she survive confronting a killer who will do anything to protect their freedom and hide their web of deceit, or will her catering days come to an end?
Books available at most online retailers
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Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder
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And now for the giveaway:
To celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I'm giving away a copy of Muddled Matrimonial Murder! (Yeah, hindsight I should have incorporated a Thanksgiving theme on the cover...) Print is limited to US residents only, and all others will receive an ebook.
Readers, do you have a breakfast or brunch specialty that you usual cook for family or guests?
Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win Muddled Matrimonial Murder. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.












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