French Toast Casserole with Brown Sugar

Serves 6 in about 1 hour. Stale/day-old bread lg goes in first, and butter unsalted finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• 8 cups stale/day-old bread, lg cubed (brioche, french, etc.)
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 5 lg eggs
• 2½ tablespoons sugar
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional)
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons melted butter, unsalted
• 2½ tablespoons brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Spray or butter a 1.5 to 2 quart oven safe dish. keep it nearby.
2. Set the bread cubes and pecans in a mixing bowl. Toss to mix. keep it nearby.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Beat very well.
4. Tip in the custard mixture over the bread and lightly mix to coat all of the bread cubes. Move to the prepared pan. Gently press on the bread to help it absorb the custard.
5. Warm the pan and melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the brown sugar cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle over the bread evenly.
6. Cover the pan tightly with foil that is sprayed with cooking spray. Crimp the edges well.
7. Put 1½ cups of water into the inner liner of the pressure cooker (2 cups for the 8 qt). With the handles of the trivet/rack, carefully lower the pan into the pressure cooker pot. It will need to sit on the rack, not directly on the bottom of the pot.
8. Set the lid on the pot and set the Steam Release Knob to Sealing. Press the Manual/Pressure Cook button, then the +/- button to select 30 minutes. High Pressure.
9. When the cook cycle ends, let the pot naturally release pressure for 15 minutes. Then manually release any remaining pressure by turning the knob to Venting. When the pin in the lid drops open the lid and carefully remove the pan, using the rack's handles.
10. Lift out the foil. Turn on broiler to 400° F.
11. When broiler is hot, place the pan on the middle oven rack. Brown the top to your liking. Keep an eye on it!
12. Plate with warm maple syrup, and powdered sugar.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.