Aunt Summer's French Toast Casserole

My wonderful sister, Summer, sent me this recipe. I ask her if I could pass it on and she graciously said yes. I thought that with New Year's coming up, this would be a great one to make Wednesday and have in the refrigerator for Thursday morning......

Ingredients:

*Italian bread (I used chaballah bread or Hawaiian) large loaf
*6 eggs
*1 & 1/2 c half & half
*1 & 1/2 c milk
*1 tsp vanilla
*1 tsp cinnamon
*dash of nutmeg

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Slice bread 3/4" - 1" pieces. Arrange bread slices in pan. Mix eggs, vanilla, milk, 1/2 & 1/2, cinnamon & nutmeg in large bowl. Pour over bread. Cover w/plastic wrap or foil & refrigerate overnight.

Topping:

*1 stick butter, softened
*1 c brown sugar
*1 & 1/2 c blueberries or strawberries-i used strawberries & they were amazing! Rinsed, sliced, & thawed.

Next morning, liberally sprinkle fruit on top of bread. Mix butter & brown sugar w/pastry blender or fork. Sprinkle topping over fruit & bread mixture.

Bake for 40 min @350 degrees.

*I only put the fruit on 1/2 of it & it was delicious!!