This is now a standard post-Thanksgiving brunch recipe. Why? Because you can throw it together the night before, then wake up, pop into oven, and you have instant-breakfast. When we party all-night long, we throw this together the day before so we have something easy to nibble on the following day.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf supermarket Challah bread in 1-inch slices, no need for the super-fancy stuff here
• 3 1/2 c whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 3 T sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• small handful dried cherries or other dried fruit
• optional: 3 T. liquor or citrus zest
• cinnamon sugar

Notes

1. butter 9×13-inch baking dish
2. arrange bread in two tightly-packed layers in the pan. I always cut one slice into smaller pieces to fill in gaps, especially when using braided Challah
3. whisk milk, eggs, sugar, salt and pour over the bread; sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
4. rap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The bread will absorb all of the milk custard while you sleep.
5. bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden.
6. cut into generous squares and serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, powdered sugar or all of the above.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen