Praline Pecan French Toast

Ingredients

• 0.8 cup firmly brown sugar packed
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 6  eggs 
• 12 ounce bread french sliced
• 1.5 cups half-and-half 
• 0.5 cup maple syrup 
• 0.8 cup pecans toasted chopped
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• baking pan

Directions

1. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until mixture is smooth and brown sugar has dissolved.
3. Pour 1 cup egg mixture into prepared baking dish. Arrange slices of French bread into baking dish and pour remaining egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; mix 3/4 cup brown sugar and maple syrup into butter, stirring until smooth. Bring syrup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir pecans into syrup. Spoon pecan praline syrup evenly over French toast casserole.
6. Bake casserole in the preheated oven until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes.