Breakfast Casseroles

With the holidays approaching, I thought it might be a good time to share some easy crowd-pleasers.  Breakfast casseroles are a wonderful way to feed a group both at home and at a gathering.  Here are two of my favorites:
This is from our friend Peggy.  She made this as the cook on a mission trip and I was so happy to see it in the church cookbook.  Thanks Peggy!
Baked French Toast
1 loaf white bread
1 dozen eggs
2 cups milk or half & half
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
Tear bread into pieces and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Scramble eggs and stir in milk.  Pour over bread.  Cover and let soak overnight.
Next morning, mix together cinnamon and brown sugar.  Sprinkle that and nuts on top of casserole.  Melt butter and pour over top.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until center is set.  Cut into squares and serve with powdered sugar or maple syrup.  Enjoy!
Personal note:  I use whole wheat bread as well.
This next one is from my mom.  She had this at a morning meeting and thought to get the recipe for me.  It has been a hit everytime I have made it.  It did not come with a name, so I made one.
Cheese Danish Casserole
2 pkgs crescent rolls (preferably the “big and flaky” variety)
2 8-oz pkgs light cream cheese
1 cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar

Spread one pkg of crescent rolls in bottom of 9”x13” pan. Mix cream cheese and sugar together. Spread over the crescent rolls in the pan. Lay out other pkg of crescent rolls atop. Melt butter and drizzle over all, then sprinkle with about 2 T cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min.