You are going to love this everything but the bagel savory french toast casserole. Smooth eggs, savory cheddar cheese and of course everything but the bagel seasoning! Can be made gluten free with a simple swap of the bread!
I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Cheese and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”
I have had this savory french toast casserole on my mind for a while. It has sat on the list of "to do" recipes for far too long and when Cabot cheese announced a contest I could enter, I knew this was the perfect recipe!
There was a reason I sat on the recipe for so long! It was meant for this contest!
This casserole is an absolute must for your holiday season. Let me list the reasons why:
- This can be made the night before
- It is savory and there will be plenty of other sweets going on that you will need a change of pace
- It has bacon, cheese and everything but the bagel seasoning!
- It can easily be made gluten free with just changing out the bread!
- It is the perfect recipe to use up any day old crusty bread!
- It is a super affordable recipe to make with only a handful of ingredients!
And finding affordable recipes is the entire reason Cabot is having the contest in the first place! They want to celebrate awesome meals that are affordable and taste amazing. And of course are super cheesy.
Jump to:
About Cabot
I was really excited to use Cabot cheese for the first time for two reasons.
First, the cheese is white. And you may be shocked to know that any cheese that is not white (orange cheddar) is not naturally that color. I am all for the more natural the better.
Second is that it is free of lactose. While I love cheese, I don't think it really is that awesome for our bodies. So less lactose is definitely a plus because I love to eat it.
Here are a few other really awesome facts about Cabot Cheese:
- Cabot is a cooperative owned by 800 farm families throughout New England & New York and 100% of profits go back to the farmers.
- All Cabot Cheddars are Naturally Aged
- All Cabot Cheddars are Naturally Gluten-Free
- In addition to a full line of cheeses, Cabot makes Greek yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, butter and whey protein.
What is EBTB?
EBTB stands for Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. You can find it at all the grocery stores in the spice/ baking aisle. I love the one from Aldi! And I have heard Trader Joe's is amazing as well.
This seasoning is everything that you would find on an Everything Bagel! Tastes of onion, garlic, poppy seeds, sesame and salt! Yummooooo!
Is this gluten free?
This savory breakfast casserole can be made gluten free or regular. Just use which ever bread you prefer!
Ingredients and Substitutions
You will need the following super affordable ingredients to make this casserole:
- bread
- bacon
- eggs
- milk
- everything but the bagel seasoning
- Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- salt and pepper
Substitutions
Bread- you can use any bread you want for this recipe. You can use gluten free or regular, but I do think it works best with a super crusty loaf. Day old is even better. I left mine out on the counter the day before.
Milk- You need 3 cups of any type of dairy you want. I would encourage you not to use skim milk and if you do, do a mix of skim milk and half and half or whipping cream.
Eggs- these can't be replaced. Sorry.
Cabot Seriously Cheddar- Cabot has a ton of flavors, you can pick the one your family will like best.
Bacon- Your favorite bacon works or even try a cooked ground sausage. Or both! Yumm!
Expert Tips and how to store
This french toast casserole is really easy to prepare. But let's chat about things that will make it easier.
- The longer this is prepped ahead of time the more bread custard like this recipe becomes. I let mine sit overnight and it was deliciously smooth in the middle and crunchy on top. But if you don't have time to let it soak in no worries! It all works.
- Grease your dish well! So that the egg or bread does not stick to the dish be sure to grease well.
Is this just for breakfast?
This casserole is perfect for any meal of the day. I think it is best for a breakfast or dinner because you can throw the ingredients in the dish, let it soak and get all yummy, then stick it in the oven to bake.
Of course any leftovers would make a great lunch.
But for dinner you could serve with a salad and for breakfast you could serve with fruit and boom you are done!
Recipe
EBTB Savory French Toast Casserole
- Total Time: 75
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
An easy make ahead if needed, savory french toast casserole. Full of everything but the bagel seasoning, cheese and bacon. The best meal for brunch and holiday breakfasts!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of bread (regular or gluten free) torn into 1 inch pieces (see notes)
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups of 2% milk
- 8 ounces (1 bar) of Cabot Seriously Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons of everything but the bagel seasoning
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of pepper
- 6 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x12 casserole dish by liberally greasing. You can use butter or spray.
- Tear your bread into 1 inch chunks and place into the greased casserole dish in an even layer.
- In a large bowl add your milk and eggs to the bowl and whisk until smooth and ribbon like. Add in your EBTB seasoning, cooked chopped bacon, 4 ounces (half) of the shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk again until everything is incorporated evenly.
- Pour the egg custard mixture on top of the bread in the prepared dish, evenly. At this point you can cover with foil and place in the fridge over night or bake right away.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes with the foil on. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and top with the remaining (4 ounces) of cheese. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. The casserole is finished baking when it is firm and crunchy on top and there is no runny or wiggly egg.
- Serve warm. You can store this covered in a fridge for up to 3 days after baking.
Notes
- A crusty loaf of bread works best because there is more density. I also let my bread sit out for 1 day so it would get stale. This is what I would recommend. Please note a really soft white bread (think Wonder) may result in a very soggy casserole. I would not recommend letting that sit overnight.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 50
- Category: breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gluten free breakfast casserole, savory french toast casserole, everything but the bagel
Need more ideas for holiday breakfast? Try this fall inspired Paleo Apple Bread with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting.
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