Egg Nog French Toast

We have a Christmas tradition in my house that the kids makes breakfast on Christmas morning.  We think of it sort of like a thank you to "Santa" for being so giving.  This year I found this Egg Nog french toast recipe, which is very similar to another dish I've made but includes egg nog instead of just milk.  I can't think of a better breakfast on Christmas morning, or really anytime during the holiday season.

My brother kicked things off by chopping up a loaf and a half of challah bread.  We were cooking for six, so I was nervous the serving size wasn't large enough so I did 1 1/2 of the recipe, but really didn't need it.  We had a ton of leftovers, luckily you can reheat this dish easily and it's still tasty.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray.  Place bread chunks in the pan while you make the eggnog mixture.

Mix eggs in a large bowl.

Add in the egg nog to the eggs.  I used non-fat and thought it was rich, but you can use the regular egg nog as well.

Add the sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg.

Pour the eggnog mixture over the bread in the pan.  I do this slowly to make sure I get every piece of bread covered.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together.

Cut the butter into one inch pieces.

Cut the butter into the sugar mixture.  My brother used in hands, but you can use whatever works.  The mixture should be crumbly.  Cover and place in the fridge until right before you bake the bread.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Uncover both dishes.  Crumble the butter sugar mix on top of the bread.  Bake for 45 minutes until starting to brown on top.  Remove and let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

This dish screams Christmas!  It's very sweet, but I am starting to enjoy baked french toast more and more, and this recipe proved my point even further.  It's rich even when using low fat eggnog, so I don't think you need whole, but it's completely up to you.  Make sure you bookmark this for next year!

Egg Nog French Toast
Serving size 6


1 loaf challah bread, ripped or cut into chunks
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups egg nog
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons ground nutmeg


Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces


Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray.
Rip or cut bread into chunks and place in the prepared pan.
Mix eggs, egg nog, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
Pour over bread, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours up to overnight.
In a separate bowl mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.
Cut in the butter using your hands or fork until the mixture is combined and crumbly.
When ready to bake, crumble the sugar mixture on top of the bread. 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 45 minutes until top is browned.
Enjoy!