Tonga Toast French Toast Casserole
An at-home version of Disney World's beloved Tonga Toast, with sourdough bread, banana slices, a cinnamon sugar topping, and rich strawberry sauce. Perfect for special occasions and easy to prep ahead of time for day-of baking.
Yield: servings
Equipment
- Cutting board
- serrated bread knife
- 9x13 baking dish
- neutral cooking spray
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- Aluminum Foil
- refrigerator
- Oven
- Small bowl
- Spoon
- medium saucepan
- Silicone spatula
- standard blender
Ingredients
For the Tonga Toast Casserole
- 1 16-ounce loaf sourdough bread
- 3 tablespoons butter cut into small cubes
- 4 medium bananas sliced into discs
- 8 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 cups milk whole or 2%
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the Strawberry Sauce
- 1 pound frozen strawberries defrosted
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- sliced fresh strawberries
- maple syrup
Instructions
To Prepare the Casserole
- Place 1 16-ounce loaf sourdough bread of sourdough bread on cutting board. Slice loaf into 1-inch thick bread slices.
- Once entire loaf is sliced, stack 3 to 4 bread slices on top of each other. Slice stack of bread in half. Rotate stack 90°, then slice stack into 1-inch wide strips. Repeat until all sourdough has been sliced into strips.
- Spray baking dish lightly with cooking spray, making sure to cover bottom, sides, and inner corners of dish.
- Scatter 3 tablespoons butter (cubed) evenly across bottom of baking dish. Place strips of bread in dish, arranging bread in rows on top of butter, with strips of bread slightly overlapping.
- Slide slices of 4 medium bananas between strips of bread, distributing banana slices evenly throughout dish.
- Crack 8 large eggs directly into medium mixing bowl and whisk eggs vigorously until fully combined. Mixture should be pale in color with no streaks of egg remaining.
- Add 2 cups milk, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup granulated white sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to bowl with eggs. Whisk vigorously until ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Pour custard mixture into baking dish, covering sourdough completely and evenly. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place dish in refrigerator. Chill casserole at least 2 hours, and no more than 12 hours.
To Bake the Casserole
- Remove baking dish from refrigerator and remove foil. Set dish aside. Let casserole rest at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- After 20 minutes, add ⅔ cup granulated white sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to small mixing bowl. Mix ingredients together until well blended. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over top of casserole.
- Cover baking dish with fresh foil and place dish in preheated oven. Bake casserole 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, carefully remove foil and discard. Return baking dish to oven and continue baking 15 to 20 minutes, or until custard is set and toast is golden and puffy.
To Make the Strawberry Sauce
- While casserole bakes uncovered, add 1 pound frozen strawberries, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar to medium saucepan. Place saucepan on stovetop over medium heat.
- Simmer strawberry mixture over medium heat 10 minutes, or until strawberries are very soft and sauce has thickened.
- When strawberry mixture is ready, transfer mixture to blender, working in batches as needed. Let cool in blender 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully secure lid on blender. Purée mixture in blender until sauce is very smooth.
To Serve the Tonga Toast Casserole
- When custard is set and toast is golden and puffy, carefully remove casserole from oven. Set aside to rest 3 to 5 minutes.
- Top casserole with prepared strawberry sauce and serve warm with sliced fresh strawberries and maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover casserole in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat on a low temp in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 366cal | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 364mg | Total Carbs: 56g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Net Carbs: 53g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg