Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable)

French bread layered with ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, soaked in vanilla-cinnamon custard and baked until golden. Served with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

# What You 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like French toast and a deli sandwich had the most delicious baby, sweet and savory in every forkful.
  • You can assemble it the night before and just pop it in the oven when your coffee finishes brewing.
  • The powdered sugar and maple syrup make it feel fancy without any extra work.
02 -
  • If you skip the resting time before baking, the bread won't absorb the custard properly and you'll end up with dry spots and a soggy bottom.
  • Use day old or slightly stale bread, fresh bread gets too mushy and falls apart when you cut into the casserole.
  • Don't overbake it or the eggs will turn rubbery, it's done when the center barely jiggles and a knife comes out mostly clean.
03 -
  • Use a serrated knife to cut the casserole cleanly, it slices through the crispy top without squishing the soft center.
  • If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
  • Leftover casserole reheats beautifully in a low oven or even the microwave, just add a fresh drizzle of syrup.
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