In a large bowl, whisk or beat together the eggs, half and half, ground cinnamon, and vanilla until all ingredients are smooth and combined.

Place the slices of French bread into the bowl and carefully press them down into the egg mixture until all are coated well. Cover and place the bowl into your refrigerator for 6-8 hours overnight.

Before removing the bread from the bowl, prepare the pecan topping. In a medium nonstick skillet or pot, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and the mix is a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans until well coated. Let it cool; it will thicken.

While waiting for the pecan mixture to cool, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Spread the pecan mixture over the bottom of the casserole dish. Using a spatula, remove the bread slices from the bowl and carefully lay them in a flat layer over the pecan layer. They will have soaked up the egg mixture, so be gentle as not to break them up.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the French toast starts to brown and the pecan topping is bubbly.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and use a spatula to flip the French toast over so that the pecan topping is on top.

Serve and enjoy!