BANANA NUT FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Grease and flour a baking dish, preferably a 9"x13". Be aware the deeper the dish, the longer this takes to bake. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. On a cutting board, make two stacks of bread, four slices to a stack. Make sure the edges are even and carefully trim off the crusts on all four edges with a serrated knife. Then cut the bread into cubes no smaller than 1 1/2". Put into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• 2. Crack the ten eggs into a smaller mixing bowl. Add 1 c. milk, 1/2 c. half and half, 2 t. vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnammon. Whisk until smooth.
• 3. Pour egg mixture over the bread cubes and toss gently, so as not to turn the bread into mush. When the bread has soaked up most or all of the egg mixture, spread 1/3 of the cubes in a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on 1/3 cup of the pecan pieces, a handful of brown sugar, and the spices. Lay out banana slices, evenly spaced on the bread. Take pats of butter and lay those on as well, again evenly spaced. Put another 1/3 of the bread/egg/milk mixture, and repeat the steps with the nuts, spices, sugar, butter, and banana. Finish up with the last 1/3 of the bread/egg/milk mixture and top with the last 1/3 c. of pecans, another handful of brown sugar and spices, and a few more pats of butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes or until the center is moist but no longer runny. You may take the foil off for the last 5-10 minutes to toast the sugar on the top. Serve with sausage, eggs and coffee, and top with a little maple syrup and whipped cream.