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
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Apple
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.












Great idea Kim! I bet blueberries would work too?
ReplyDeleteBlueberries would absolutely work, Roberta! And would be more readily available year-round than cranberries and equally delicious!
DeleteThank you so very much for the Overnight Cranberry French Toast Casserole recipe! Sounds both easy and delicious. I'm like you in wanting delicious food, but wanting to enjoy my company as well. Especially since some times it's a short visit or visits are so far apart.
ReplyDeleteNot entering the contest since I've been blessed to have already read MUDDLED MATRIMONIAL MURDER, which I might add was a FIVE STAR story.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Awww, thanks so much for the shoutout for MMM, Kay! I know sometimes it seems like a whirlwind of activity when guests come and worrying about food is the last thing I want to think about. I hope you enjoy!
DeleteThank you for this recipe AND the chance to win! This would be great for Easter breakfast. I don't have a "go-to" recipe for breakfast.
ReplyDeletemadamhawk at gmail dot com
You're very welcome! I generally keep a bag or two of cranberries in the freezer (and pick them up when on sale during the holidays) so I can make it at other times of the year. You could always swap out the cranberries for blueberries, as Roberta suggested, or even strawberries for Easter.
DeleteSometimes my family and I do a Holiday Breakfast and it's delicious and yummy
ReplyDeleteLove the looks and Sounds of book would love to read and review print copy
don.stewart@zoominternet.net
Holiday breakfasts with family is so special when everyone can get together - and yummy too! Thanks for stopping by, Crystal!
DeleteLooks delicious. We love overnight breakfast casseroles for holidays mornings. snead.sarah@gmaildotcom
ReplyDeleteThere are so many overnight breakfast casserole recipes out there, from sweet to savory! And they all sounds yummy to me :)
DeleteThat sounds delicious, Kim! Perfect for holiday mornings.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ang! Holiday breakfasts with family are the BEST!
DeleteThat casserole looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe and for the chance for the book. 3labsmom(at)gmail(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Brenda, and I hope you enjoy!
DeleteThat recipe sounds yummy as I enjoy things with cranberries in them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a chance,
Cranberries certainly make dishes seem festive, Linda, especially this time of the year! And you're very welcome!
DeleteThis recipe is amazing, dear Kim! Thank you for always posting some of the most memorable baked goods I now crave. Thank you for this recipe!!! I just printed this recipe and will definitely make it. We just had guests this weekend, so I know what you mean about making food that take your concentration away from your guests. I have read all your books, except for Catering to the Dead, which is nice and warm in my Kindle, ready for me to read it. JOY!!! Luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the dish, Luis, and have more opportunities soon to share with more guests! And thank you so much for reading the series - it is truly appreciated!!!
DeleteI always make a hash brown casserole. anitalklaboe@aol.com
ReplyDeleteSounds like a delicious and hearty breakfast, Anita! I've seen recipes for hash brown casseroles but haven't tried making one yet... might just need to remedy that :)
DeleteOver night? I'm not sure, I could wait that long to eat it. It looks so good!
ReplyDeleteLol, it can be hard to wait that long! You could cook it sooner, but you want to give the bread time to soak up all the egg mixture first. Enjoy!
DeleteThat looks so yummy! I like to make waffles and let everybody pick their own toppings. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteWe love waffles too, Carol! The only drawback is that someone has to tend to the waffle iron while everyone else gets to sit down to eat :)
DeleteWhat a delectable casserole. So perfect for the season. I enjoy making Challah French Toast, The entire family loves this especially when visitors are here and through the winter. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteChalla French Toast sounds heavenly! I'm a huge fan of French Toast, especially when served with strawberries and whipped cream :)
DeleteTree nut allergy but the receipe sounds good
ReplyDeletecheetahthecat1982ATgmailDOTcom
DeleteThe nice thing about casseroles like this, Kim, is that they are so easily adaptable to fit food allergies. For a nut allergy, I'd leave out the pecans and add in more oatmeal (maybe a 1/2 cup extra). I've also made this recipe with non-dairy milk and gluten-free bread and it turned out great! Well, maybe not quite as great as the original, but it was still delicious.
DeleteI like to make pancakes.
ReplyDeleteKit3247@aol.com
Pancakes are a popular choice, Rita! And the toppings can be added by each person so everyone gets what they enjoy the best.
DeleteSounds delicious and convenient! There are just a couple of us for most holidays anymore, so we don't do much, but in the "old" days, it was cinnamon rolls and poppy seed rolls made the day before and just popped in the oven to bake in the morning, along with an egg casserole, again made the night before to bake in the morning. makennedyinaz@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI'm drooling over your mention of cinnamon rolls, Marcia! We used to make those back in the day... utterly delicious! And anything that can be put together the night before and baked in the morning is the best kind of holiday breakfast recipe.
DeleteYum! Thanks for sharing the delicious recipe. I usually make a french toast casserole with cream cheese, cranberries and blueberries. Last year I made a Christmas wreath with sausage, eggs and cheese shaped from crescent rolls. That was a hit.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the chance!
jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com
You're very welcome although your mention of french toast casserole with cream cheese and berries sounds utterly decadent! Yum!!! I love the idea of a Christmas wreath-shaped breakfast dish. It would be a hit in my household too!
DeleteI usually fix cinnamon rolls for the holidays for my husband and myself. Thank you for this chance at your giveaway. pgenest57 at aol dot com
ReplyDeleteOohh, cinnamon rolls are definitely a hit around the holidays, Paula! The way they make the house smell so sweet and yeasty brings me many fond memories!
DeleteI don't usually cook breakfast because I don't like eggs. I rather go out for breakfast. When I'm at my Sister's we usually go to a local restaurant where I can get a hashbrown omelet with bacon and I can get it without eggs. Since the omelet is mostly hash browns it really doesn't need eggs.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
I've never heard of a hashbrown omelet, Dianne, but it does sound like a great substitute for an egg omelet! It's the omelet fillings that make it so delicious anyway :)
DeleteI don't have a go to recipe. I usually fix cinnamon rolls or eggs of some kind. Thanks for the chance. dl.mandmlover (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteYummm.... cinnamon rolls! One of my favorites during the holidays!
DeleteKim, you come up with the most delicious recipes! I don't usually make anything special since it is just the two of us. My husband doesn't really care much for pancakes or waffles, and we eat eggs often enough that they aren't anything special. I usually end up making French toast. I am not a gourmet cook lol. suemngirl@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue! French toast is a treat in my opinion and when I'd eat out for breakfast, that's what I'd always order... that is until gluten became an issue for me. Now I have to live vicariously through everyone else's plates of French toast :)
DeleteWhat a marvelous idea to have a streusal topping on French toast.
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
Thanks, Libby! It definitely adds a delicious wow factor :)
DeleteIt is just my husband and I for the holiday so we are keeping it simple. I do love the idea of streusal topp6on french toast
ReplyDeletenlap3414@gmail.com
Nancy, I think streusel topping would go well with just about any sweet type of breakfast food... definitely French toast, and pancakes, and waffles... enjoy!
DeleteFor breakfast I usually do a casserole, ham, egg, cheese, spinach and mild chili but I will be trying the French toast, that looks delicious felicia_lock53@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Felicia! There are so many different breakfast casserole recipes out there and yours sound delicious. I love the addition of the mild chiles... yum!
DeleteWhen our boys were little, I’d make “Carmel danish” on holiday mornings. We’re grandparents now, but still make “Carmel danish”.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful tradition to carry on with your grandkids, Kathleen!
DeleteI don't, I'm not much of a cook. My sister usually makes an egg bake. I would probably be pancakes.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have a sister cook an egg bake for you, Christa! Pancakes are a favorite of our youngest granddaughter, especially if strawberries and whipped cream are involved :)
DeleteI usually do a casserole made with cut up cinnamon rolls and other ingredients, but may have to try this one this year. It looks good. The book looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteRita
rgp1950@yahoo.com
Using cut up cinnamon rolls as the base of a breakfast casserole sounds fantastic, Rita! I hope you enjoy this one just as much :)
DeleteMy family enjoy omelets. baileybounce2@att.net
ReplyDeleteI enjoy omelets too, Sherry, but have never gotten the hang of getting them to turn out well. They always end up looking like scrambled eggs by the time it makes it to the plate, lol!
DeleteWe aren’t really breakfast people. Maybe a breakfast sandwich with bacon or sausage with cheese and egg.
ReplyDeleteWskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
A breakfast sandwich sounds delicious! As a kid, it was always a treat to get an egg McMuffin from McDonald's and I've made them a few times at home.
DeleteYes, it used to be waffles. lindaherold999(at)gmai(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWaffles... so yummy, Linda! My family especially loves when strawberries and whipped cream are involved :)
DeleteThe recipe sounds great and I would love to dig into this book. Thanks for your great generosity. Maycarlson6848@gmail.com Thanks for your great generosity.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much and good luck in the contest!
DeleteI’m not a cook so they either get scrambled eggs or cereal. lol!
ReplyDeleteNothing is wrong with either of those :)
DeleteNo I don't have any.
ReplyDeleteRose Ward
mcadamsrose388@gmail.com
Dutch Babies are my claim to fame! My family and friends love them!
ReplyDeleteartnkel@aol.com
Scrambled eggs, bacon, gravy and biscuts.
ReplyDelete