Baked French Toast with Pecan Praline Topping

This has become one of my favorite breakfast recipes. It is fairly easy to make and freezes well. I have made it for several of our parent seminars and received good feed back on it every time. I also have given the left overs to the girls home and received several requests to make it again :-) I have made it both with sliced french bread and cubed white bread--whatever I had on hand. I have made it ahead of time and frozen the uncooked casserole with the praline topping already on it (after letting it refrigerate overnight) and it turns out just fine that way. And, of course, it should be served with pure Vermont Maple Syrup!! ;-)

And for my ONE follower: here you go, Clara, a recipe that ISN'T soup! haha :-)
Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 loaf French Bread (13-16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teasppon ground nutmeg
dash salt
praline topping (recipe follows)
maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

½ pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.