Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable)

French bread layered with ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, baked in a cinnamon-vanilla egg custard until golden.

# Ingredient List:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 8 cups French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 1 loaf)
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 or chicken, chopped

→ Toppings

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

# How-to Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss bread cubes with chopped ham and turkey. Spread mixture evenly in prepared baking dish.
03 - In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until fully combined.
04 - Pour egg mixture evenly over bread and meat combination, pressing gently to encourage bread absorption of liquid.
05 - Distribute shredded Swiss cheese evenly across the entire surface.
06 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes for optimal bread saturation.
07 - Bake covered for 30 minutes until egg mixture begins setting.
08 - Remove foil and bake additional 15-20 minutes until casserole is fully set and top achieves golden brown color.
09 - Allow casserole to cool for 10 minutes before portioning for easier serving and better structural integrity.
10 - Plate warm portions and dust with powdered sugar, then drizzle generously with maple syrup.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It transforms yesterday's bread into a showstopper that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The make ahead magic means you can actually enjoy your morning instead of standing over a stove flipping endless pancakes.
  • Every forkful delivers that perfect sweet and savory contrast that makes Monte Cristo sandwiches so crave worthy.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, so breakfast is solved for the next two days without any extra effort.
02 -
  • Pressing the bread into the custard is not optional, I learned this after my first attempt came out with dry bread on top and soggy mush on the bottom.
  • If you refrigerate it overnight, add 10 minutes to the covered baking time because it starts cold.
  • Don't use pre shredded cheese if you can help it, the anti caking coating prevents it from melting as smoothly.
03 -
  • Cube your bread the night before and leave it out uncovered so it dries out a bit, this prevents sogginess better than anything else I've tried.
  • Invest in a good quality Swiss cheese from the deli counter, the flavor difference is noticeable and it melts into silky pools instead of greasy puddles.
  • When you press the bread into the custard, do it in sections rather than all at once so you can feel where the dry spots are hiding.
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