Blueberry French Toast Casserole (GF)

This is a combination of a couple different French toast breakfast casseroles that I found and were shared with me. I wanted a sweet breakfast for Christmas that would bake while opening gifts. I love cooked blueberries. I used mostly organic, gluten and sugar free ingredients, but of course you can use any of your similar items on hand. I specified the products I used in the ingredients and tips along the way. Fresh cranberries or apple would be a nice substitute for blueberries.

A note about the bread: Gluten free bread is a little more dense and dry (I keep it in the fridge), so I think it worked out great for a recipe like this. Note there is usually some kind of sweetener in gf bread, and it's a carb, so that isn't completely sugar free. But you can find low carb breads now at Costco to make this actually low carb. The ones I've found just aren't gluten free.

Ingredients

• 6 slices of crusty bread torn in pieces (I had Costco gf multi-grain on hand; good use of the heels! And I tore the pieces as I went in the baking dish vs dirtying a bowl to keep them in!)
• At least 1 cup of fresh blueberries (personal preference; the more the merrier for me)
• 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese - cubed (this is optional: I left this off half of the casserole for lactose free family member using 4 oz.; I used Greek cream cheese, but any will do. Again, I just cubed with a knife as I added to the dish.)
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cu whole milk (I get Organic Valley lactose free)
• 1 Tbs sugar free maple syrup (optional: I used Pyure brand)
• 1/2 cu Swerve or other granulated sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon (or eyeball it like I do)
• Butter or coconut oil to grease baking dish

Optional topping

• 1/4 cu flour (I used Paleo baking flour)
• 1/4 cu Swerve brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cu melted butter

Instructions

1. Grease baking dish and preheat oven to 350.
2. Layer half of the bread pieces on the bottom of the dish. Add blueberries in an even layer. Add cubed cream cheese in an even layer. Top with the remaining bread pieces.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour evenly over the casserole.
4. Cover and put in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven for 350, and take the dish out of the fridge. I get a little nervous about baking cold dishes in the oven, so I let it sit on the stovetop while the oven preheated.
6. For the topping, mix ingredients in a small bowl, refrigerate until ready to use. You can also use a fork to mix the dry ingredients with cold, cubed butter if you want to wait to make this at the end.
7. Bake the casserole uncovered for 35-45 minutes. Remove after 35 if adding topping, or just continue baking. It will get brown before it's completely set. Just keep an eye on it.
8. Optional: Remove topping mixture from fridge, break apart with a fork to be able crumble.
9. Remove casserole from oven, sprinkle topping evenly, and continue to bake until fully set and knife comes out clean. The 8x8 was pretty full, and I used a lot of blueberries, so it was on the longer end to cook through. 
10. Serve warm. Top with some maple syrup!