My favorite aspect of this Simple Overnight Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole is that I can get it completely ready the night before, then slide it into the oven in the morning without having to think, measure, talk, or care. Allow me to share with you a bit about myself and how mornings work for me.
I typically get up at least an hour before my family rolls out of bed in the morning. Do you know what that means? That means that for at least one hour every day no one talks to me, asks me questions, makes a request, or assumes I actually know the time of today’s soccer game. Once the people wake up, my brain must be on full power, ready to answer all the questions, write all the sentences, make all the reminders, plan all the meals, and remember to add toilet paper to the list.
For the first several years of my married-with-kids life, I woke up and immediately hit the ground running. My quiet time in the mornings meant I could actually accomplish something before a small child unraveled my efforts with his sticky but adorable hands. I could get work done without interruption and perhaps enjoy some productivity – in the quiet.
This was all well and good, except that I missed out on one very important aspect needed in life: actual quiet.
I was deceived into thinking that productivity meant checking tasks off my to-do list. Now I know the truth, that productivity can look like rest. Productivity can mean that I’m sitting, savoring, breathing, and simply being loved by the Father in the moments of quiet. Nothing in this world is more productive.
Do I miss out on that precious and much needed hour of work time? No. I absolutely do not. The work is still there. The work still gets done (no it doesn’t). There’s peace in my heart that didn’t exist before I started giving my days to God in the quiet, and this means much, much more than a house full of completed check-lists.
All that to say: Making this French Toast Casserole at night, then effortlessly slipping it into the oven first thing in the morning means that I can still present an amazing breakfast to my family while still enjoying my quiet morning with the Lord. (Though to be clear, sometimes I present a half-hearted breakfast of stale cereal because as easy as this recipe is, I don’t have time to do something like this every night. No one ever died eating the stale cereal and everyone is happier when Mom starts her day with Jesus.)
Simple Overnight Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole
- 1 loaf whole grain bread
- 2½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar or sucanat
- 6 eggs
- 8 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice*
- Topping:
- ½ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar or sucanat
- ⅓ cup pecan
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice*
- Cut bread into cubes and spread them into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk milk, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and pumpkin spice.
- Pour liquids over the bread cubes.
- Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight (or all day if you plan to make this in the evening for dinner).
- Before baking, stir together the topping ingredients.
- Sprinkle topping over the prepared casserole.
- Place casserole into a COLD oven, then turn it on to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned.
- Serve with real maple syrup.
*Find the recipe for our Pumpkin Spice mix here. Or substitute: 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg in this recipe.
Have you been able to find some quiet moments with the Lord in your day? What time of day works best for you to do this?
