Peach Melba French Toast Casserole Recipe

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spread 2 tablespoons of butter on the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2. Cut or tear the bread into 2×2-inch pieces. Place an even layer of bread on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

3. Dot the top of the bread with ⅔ of the raspberries, and layer all of the peach slices around the raspberries.

4. Top with another layer of bread pieces. Tuck the remaining berries into cracks and crevices on the top of the dish.

Custard:

1. In a large bowl, aggressively whisk together the eggs for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream, sugar, extract, and salt. Whisk aggressively together for about 1 minute.

2. Pour the custard over the bread and fruit mixture. Gently smoosh the bread down into the custard.

3. Sprinkle the top evenly with 2 tablespoons of sugar and sliced almonds.

To Bake:

1. * Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F when ready to bake.

2. Bake the casserole for 50 minutes. The bread will puff up and the top should be golden with toasty bits.

Raspberry Sauce:

1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and set aside.

2. Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the frozen raspberries, sugar, vanilla, and salt.

3. Stir occasionally while mashing the berries down with the back of a spatula, for about 5 to 7 minutes, while gently simmering. Don’t boil or aggressively summer.

4. Once the berries have released their juices, pour the sauce through the fine-mesh sieve, pressing down to release as much of the sauce as possible. Discard the solids.

5. Remove the French toast casserole from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into pieces, and transfer to a plate.

6. Drizzle each piece with raspberry sauce, then serve and enjoy!