French toast is already indulgent and sweet, but there’s nothing that can’t be improved with the addition of cheesecake! Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole gets the custard-sweet taste of French toast and adds in the smooth, creamy, luscious taste of cheesecake. Add a layer of jammy, sweet strawberries, and you have a way to make your morning magical. Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole is layer upon layer of flavor, so it’s the perfect foundation for a great day!
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 11 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 loaves French bread, sliced into 1-inch-thick slices, about 20 slices total
- 2 cups strawberries, freshly sliced
Directions
Step 1 –Grease a 9×13-inch oven-safe dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2 –In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth.
Step 3 –Add in the sugar and beat until it is fully mixed.
Step 4 –Add in 1 of the eggs and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice.
Step 5 –Stir to combine, then set it aside.
Step 6 –Using another mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 10 eggs, the whole milk, the half-and-half, the maple syrup, the vanilla extract, the ground cinnamon, and the ground nutmeg until well-combined and set it aside.
Step 7 –Layer the French bread along in the bottom of the prepared dish.
Step 8 –Spread 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture evenly over of the bread.
Step 9 –Add 1/2 of the strawberries evenly on top of the cream cheese mixture.
Step 10 –Repeat with the remaining cream cheese mixture and the remaining strawberries.
Step 11 –Pour the egg mixture over the casserole, pressing down to ensure the bread is submerged.
Step 12 –Cover the dish to refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Step 13 –Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 14 –While the oven is preheating, transfer the casserole from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
Step 15 –Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.
Step 16 –Bake for 30 minutes.
Step 17 –Remove the foil and bake until the top is golden-brown and the casserole is fluffy, about 30 minutes.
Step 18 –Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.
Step 19 –Serve!