Cranberry Orange French Toast Casserole

My enthusiasm for Fall is on a new level this year for many reasons, but especially because of all the fun, cozy Fall recipe opportunities that come with it. One of my all time favorite seasonal comfort foods is cranberry sauce. I am a DIE HARD cranberry fan and feel it's totally underutilized outside of the month of November, so this year, I'm taking a stand! Who's with me?!

This citrusy, sweet and pillowy brioche casserole is a pretty solid way to kick off a lazy weekend: super easy, make ahead, AND delicious! So get yourself to the grocery store, pick up a bag of those cranberries you've been eyeing and let's get to baking!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 loaf Brioche, 1 day old and 1" diced

• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup orange juice, plus 1 1/2 teaspoon of zest

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Confectioner’s sugar for serving

Directions:

1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Add half of the cubed brioche to the baking dish. Sprinkle half the cranberries. Repeat again to create another layer of brioche and cranberries and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add the heavy cream, eggs, orange juice, 1 teaspoon zest, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk lightly until all ingredients are fully combined.

3. Pour the mixture evenly over the top of the brioche in the baking dish and press the bread down into the liquid mixture to ensure all of the bread is coated. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.

4. Once ready to bake, take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 375 F.

5. Bake the casserole, still covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is browned and a fork inserted in the center comes out clean another 15-20 minutes.

6. Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sift confectioner's sugar on top of the casserole and sprinkle the additional 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest.