Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable Version)

Cinnamon-vanilla soaked bread layered with ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, baked until golden and topped with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 8 cups French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 8 large eggs
03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

→ Meats

08 - 1 cup cooked ham, chopped
09 - 1 cup cooked turkey, chopped

→ Toppings

10 - Powdered sugar for serving
11 - Maple syrup for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with chopped ham and turkey. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread and meat layers, pressing gently to allow bread to absorb the liquid.
05 - Sprinkle shredded Swiss cheese evenly over the top layer.
06 - Cover dish with aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow thorough soaking.
07 - Bake covered for 30 minutes until partially set.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until casserole is set and top is golden brown.
09 - Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You prep it the night before and just slide it in the oven when guests arrive, giving you time to actually enjoy your own party.
  • The contrast between the cinnamon custard, melted cheese, and salty meat creates that addictive sweet and savory balance people can't stop talking about.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to stand over a stove flipping individual servings.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, so you get easy breakfasts all week long.
02 -
  • If you skip the 15-minute soaking time before baking, you'll end up with crunchy bread cubes instead of that custardy texture.
  • Use day-old or slightly stale bread, fresh bread gets too soggy and can turn the casserole mushy.
  • Don't overbake or the eggs will become rubbery, pull it out as soon as the center no longer jiggles.
  • Let it rest after baking or it will fall apart when you try to slice it.
03 -
  • Use a serrated knife to cut the bread into cubes, it's faster and keeps the pieces more uniform.
  • If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil during the last few minutes of baking.
  • Reheat leftovers in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes to bring back that fresh-baked texture instead of microwaving.
  • For an extra indulgent touch, add a thin layer of raspberry or strawberry jam between the bread and custard layers.
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