Uncle Fred and Aunt Elaine made a wonderful brunch for everyone at the house.  It was a french toast casserole and a fruit compote.

The fruit compote recipe is:
1 can each of peaches, pears, pineapple, apricots, and dark sweet pitted cherries - all light syrups.  Drain all of them - but save 1/2 cup of fruit juice (whichever you prefer).  Put all the fruits in a greased 9x12 baking dish.  Add 1-2 t cinnamon, 1/4 cp orange liquor - or 1t orange extract and 1/4 cp brown sugar. Mix.  Dot with butter and bake up to 45 minutes at 350 - 400 - whatever your oven likes. 15 minutes before completion add 3T cornstarch with the remaining fruit juice - pour it over the fruit and bake for the last 15 minutes. It is a very forgiving recipe.

Here is the recipe for the french toast casserole -

1 loaf of challah

8 eggs

1 cp milk

2 cps half and half

1 T vanilla

Pinch of salt

¼ cp sugar

1t cinnamon

Heavily buttered 9x12 dish.

Combine ingredients, except bread.

Layer bread in 2 layer in dish.

Pour liquid mixture over bread.

Fridge overnight with Saran wrap on it.

Place pats of butter on top.

Place in cold oven.

Turn to 350.

Bake for 50-60 minutes – put foil on it if it gets too brown.

The french toast casserole is so light and fluffy inside, but crispy on the outside.  And with the fruit, it made for a very special homemade meal.