Orange Marmalade French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (16-ounce) sourdough French bread loaf, or other fairly heavy white bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices (enough slices to cover the pan twice)
Cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) jar orange marmalade (I use sugar free or lite)
2 3/4 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans

What to Do:

Coat a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Butter half the bread slices and arrange, buttered side down in a single layer in the pan. Spread marmalade evenly over bread. Butter remaining bread slices and arrange another layer, buttered side up.

Whisk together the milk, sugar, vanilla, spices and eggs. Pour this over bread, pushing top slices down into egg mixture if needed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Sprinkle casserole with pecans. Bake at 350° (preheated) for about 45 minutes or until golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:

It is fairly sweet if you do not use sugar free marmalade, but if you like you can serve with honey or pancake syrup to which you have added one teaspoon rind and two tablespoons juice per 1/2 cup.