Slow-Cooker French Toast

Slow-Cooker French Toast

For crumb topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes

For French toast:
1 (20-ounce) loaf challah, sliced
2 cups milk
4 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, optional

1. Make the crumb topping: Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the cold butter, toss to coat, and then use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.
2. Lightly coat the inside of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. Cut the challah slices in half crosswise; arrange them in the slow cooker in several layers, overlapping slightly.
3. In a large glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the batter evenly over the bread slices.
4. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the bread slices. Top with the blueberries.
5. Cover and cook the French toast on low heat for 3 hours or on high for 1 1/2 hours, until a knife comes out clean.
6. Serve immediately, sprinkled with powdered sugar and pecans, if desired.

My notes: This dish tasted great, but I didn’t love the texture of the French toast. I might experiment with types of bread or cooking time to see if I could get a firmer textures.