The Pioneer Woman's Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole Is the Easiest (& Tastiest) Way to Feed a Crowd

Breakfast brings people together like nothing else. There’s just something about sharing a warm, hearty meal in the morning that kickstarts your day with a dose of joy. And now, Ree Drummond (aka, The Pioneer Woman) has the perfect recipe to feed your friends and family — and it’s so easy to make ahead for a brunch party or a summer sleepover with the kids.

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“French toast is a brunch favorite, but one challenging thing about it is standing over the stove and making individual pieces for your guests,” Drummond says in a video posted to Food Network’s YouTube page . Enter: French Toast Casserole, which Drummond calls “a lifesaver.” This recipe has all the creamy delicious of French Toast, with the ease of preparing it ahead of time. Because anything that makes hectic mornings easier are for us!

She starts by using eggs, mascarpone, vanilla, and other ingredients to make the custard. Lemon zest is an extra special flavor that “really brightens and makes the whole thing taste super fresh.” That’s perfect for this!

With an immersion blender, Drummond mixes everything together. Next, she layered slices of potato bread (but you could use any other bread you have available!) in a casserole dish and poured the custard over it. Once the bread is soaked, Drummond poured frozen blueberries over the top. If you are making this in advance, now is the time to put plastic wrap over it and put it in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready, pop it in the oven. A sweet glaze is the perfect finishing touch for the breakfast, which Drummond makes with lemon juice and powdered sugar. She drizzled it over the casserole and scooped it up to serve, not worrying about individual pieces of bread like traditional French toast. A dusting of powdered sugar on top completes the delicious brunch.

After taking a bite, Drummond calls the recipe “divine,” and we can’t wait to try this heavenly recipe ourselves! And if you want more French toast goodness, Martha Stewart has a savory option that includes bacon, eggs, cheddar, and tomatoes, and Ina Garten has a sweet, raspberry recipe . There’s truly no way to go wrong when it comes to French toast!

Get Drummond’s full French Toast Casserole recipe HERE .

Satisfy your sweet tooth with more awesome Costco bakery items seen in the gallery below.