This Sweet Croissant Breakfast Casserole is full of fresh berries, toasted buttery croissants, and delicious custard. Drizzled with icing, it's a sweet take on a savory classic.
Toasting the croissants: Slice the croissants into 1-inch pieces. Spread them out in a single layer onto an extra large baking sheet (22x16 inch) and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until golden and slightly crisped. Set aside for later.
Make the Custard: In a large bowl add the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Using an electric hand mixer, mix everything on low speed and work it up to medium-high speed until it is smooth and creamy.
Then add in the room temperature eggs and warm half-and-half. Combine everything together on medium-low speed. Note: room temperature ingredients are important to have a smooth creamy custard. Tip: if you forgot to bring your eggs to temperature, you can put them in a bowl of hot water for about five minutes and they’ll warm up.
Assemble in layers: Place half of the croissants into 9x13 baking dish, then evenly scatter half of the berries on top. Then pour half of the custard evenly over the dish. Add the rest of the croissants in an even layer. Then add the remaining half of the custard and the remaining half of the berries. Lightly press the croissants and berries into the custard so that the top layer of croissants absorbs more of the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Note: If you absolutely don't have the time to wait for refrigeration, you can let it sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then bake. It will still taste amazing!
Bake the next day: Remove the baking dish from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before baking. This is important to prevent temperature shock and running the risk of your ceramic or glass dish cracking in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and bake covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
Make the Lemon Glaze: While the croissant casserole is in the oven, make the glaze. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract using a whisk. Mix until smooth. Then drizzle over the sweet casserole and serve.