Easy family friendly breakfasts, like this Overnight French Toast Bake, are a great way to give your family a healthy start to their day without a lot of time spent in the kitchen. And it’s a bonus when it’s easy on the budget too.

Breakfast casserole of french toast in clear baking dish

I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Cheese and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

By doing all the prep work the night before, you can have a delicious, warm breakfast the next day with minimal effort. That’s nice when you’d rather be spending more of your time with family and less of it in the kitchen.

Can I make overnight French toast healthier?

You can easily up the nutritional value of overnight French toast with a few simple changes.

Fruit, fresh or dried, is a great way to add fiber and other nutrients. Plus, fruit provides natural sweetness and additional flavor. I chose to add sliced apples to this overnight French toast bake, but it would be equally good with other fruits.
Adding nuts, such as walnuts, provides additional heart-healthy omega-3-fatty acids.
Use 100% whole wheat bread, whole grain bread, or even a combination of whole wheat and white bread. Whole wheat bread provides additional fiber. And let’s face it, most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet. So anytime you can easily increase it, go for it!
The other ingredient that’s easy to add to this breakfast casserole is cheese. Yes, that’s right, cheese…specifically sharp cheddar cheese. Adding cheese provides additional protein and calcium to the meal.

Eggs in bowl, milk, bread on plate, cheese, three apples, and chopped walnuts

By making these changes and adding apples and cheese, you end up with a pretty well-balanced breakfast that’s delicious and great for days when you want something a little special that won’t break the budget. It would perfect for lazy weekends and holidays, when family time is the focus.

How can I make this lactose-free or gluten-free?

With a few small changes you can make this overnight French toast gluten-free and/or lactose-free. Simply use your favorite gluten-free bread and make sure your cheese is gluten-free as well. All other ingredients in the recipe are already gluten-free.

To make it lactose-free, you’ll need to change out your milk for a lactose-free milk beverage – something like almond milk or soy milk. The choice is yours. Additionally, you’ll want to choose aged, hard cheeses, like cheddar cheese, that are usually very low in lactose if they have any at all. In fact, the Cabot Creamery Sharp Cheddar Cheese I used in this recipe is naturally lactose-free. Alternatively, you could use a lactose free cheese substitute.

Baked French toast casserole in clear baking dish on wire cooling rack

Budget friendly tips

What makes overnight French toast with cheddar and apples easy on the budget? Well, for starters, all the major ingredients are budget friendly items. Ingredients like eggs, milk, and bread are usually reasonably priced. But here are a few other tips:

Use whole wheat sandwich bread. And if you normally throw away the ends of your loaves of bread – the heels, save and freeze them, and then use those in your overnight French toast.
Buy skim or non-fat milk as it’s usually costs less than high-fat milk.
And eggs have always been a low cost, high-quality protein source.
You can also find apples and cheese that can easily fit into your grocery budget. If there’s an apple farm nearby, try asking for seconds. They might have a few bruises or bumps but are just fine to cook with, and they’re less expensive.

Breakfast casserole in clear dish with one piece on a white plate nearby

Does it matter what kind of cheese I use?

You can use whatever kind of cheese you like, but my favorite is sharp cheddar. The cheddar cheese flavor complements the apples and custardy French toast, and adds another dimension of flavor to the finished product, and basically increases its deliciousness!

For this overnight French toast bake I chose to use Cabot Creamery Sharp Cheddar Cheese. It has a great flavor! And did you know that all Cabot cheddars are naturally aged, gluten-free, and 100% naturally lactose-free? That’s great news for people who need to avoid gluten or lactose.

And you know what else is great about Cabot Cheese? It’s a cooperative of farm families and all the profits go back to the farmers. And I’m all about supporting family farms. Besides their wonderful array of cheeses, they also make cottage cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, and butter.

Easy breakfasts that are tasty, healthy, and budget-friendly are a great way to start your day. So why not make this Overnight French Toast Bake? Start tonight and enjoy tomorrow morning!