🧀🍞 This Monte Cristo Casserole offers all the flavors of a classic Monte Cristo sandwich but in a make-ahead breakfast casserole form! Layers of tender brioche bread with cubed ham, sliced turkey, Swiss, and cheddar cheeses are topped with an egg mixture before being baked off to perfection! It’s my favorite breakfast or brunch option for stress-free holiday mornings!
Easy Monte Cristo Casserole
If you’re unfamiliar, a Monte Cristo sandwich is a fried ham and cheese sandwich that is an American version of the French croque monsieur. It’s a sweet, savory recipe that’s unexpectedly delicious.
However, when serving a crowd, assembling individual sandwiches can be a bit of a hassle. So, I make this Monte Cristo bake instead! It has all the flavors and ingredients of the traditional sandwich, but is great to make ahead of time and bakes all at once, making it perfect for gatherings.
I serve mine topped with confectioner’s sugar for a nice visual presentation as well as a touch of sweetness. It’s also great with raspberry preserves or raspberry jam. It’s become a go-to for Christmas morning, Easter, or Mother’s Day, and I never have any leftovers! Add a side of vanilla fruit salad or fruit and yogurt parfaits, and you can’t go wrong.
Ingredients Needed
Very common and easy to find fridge and pantry ingredients are all you need to make this family favorite brunch recipe that tastes like a million bucks!
- Brioche bread: I like to use brioche bread, which is an egg-based, very slightly sweet, and perfectly soft bread. However, if you want a firmer bread or bread that’s not sweet, use French bread or a French baguette. You need 1 pound of whatever kind of bread you choose. I have seen recipes using sourdough, but for me personally, I wouldn’t prefer sourdough here. There’s no need to use dry or stale bread
- Deli turkey
- Cubed deli ham: Or your leftover holiday honey baked ham! Use about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of your leftover ham, whatever looks about right as you’re layering it. And if you have a lot of ham to use, go heavy-handed with it
- Cheese: Shredded Swiss cheese and shredded cheddar cheese are the classic combination
- Large eggs
- Milk: For the best flavor and texture, I suggest whole milk, although you can probably get away with 2%. If you want to use a plant-based milk, cashewmilk is my pick because it’s a thicker, more viscous milk that resembles 2%-to-whole milk in terms of how thick it is
- (Optional) toppings: Powdered sugar and/or raspberry preserves or jam
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Monte Cristo Casserole
This is such an easy recipe to make since there’s no “cooking” involved, per se. You’re going to look like a Star Chef to your guests simply by assembling ingredients with just about 10 minutes of prep time, and then baking it off!
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat your oven.
- Add half the cubed bread slices to the baking dish, evenly sprinkle the turkey, half the ham, and half of both cheeses. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients.
Tip – If you’re prepping this in advance, stop here, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk, and evenly pour the mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish. I don’t tend to salt the egg and milk mixture because the two meats and the cheeses all have quite a bit of salt, but if you want to, of course, add salt to taste. The same goes for black pepper; if you want to add it, do so.
- Bake until the center is set, golden brown, and doesn’t jiggle.
- Optionally dust over the top of the pan with confectioners’ sugar, and optionally serve with raspberry preserves, and enjoy!
What to Serve with Monte Cristo Casserole
Monte Cristo Casserole
Equipment
- 1 9×13-inch baking dish porcelain, ceramic, or glass recommended rather than metal
Ingredients
- 1 pound brioche bread, cut into ¼-inch cubes (French bread may be substituted), divided
- ½ pound sliced deli turkey, cut into ½-inch squares, divided
- ½ pound cubed ham, cooked (deli ham or use leftover holiday ham), divided
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, mild or medium cheddar recommended, divided
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk, 2% milk may be substituted, cashewmilk recommended as a plant-based option
- Confectioners’ sugar, optional for dusting
- Raspberry preserves or jam, optional for dipping or serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray the baking dish well with cooking spray.
- Add half of the cubed bread to the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Top the bread with half the turkey, half the ham, half the Swiss cheese, and half the cheddar cheese.
- Repeat this layering process (bread, meats, cheeses) with the remaining ingredients; set aside momentarily. Tip – If you are prepping this in advance as a make-ahead recipe, stop now. Refrigerate, and bake off the next day. See the Notes at the bottom of the recipe card for more details and info.
- To a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, and whisk well to combine.
- Evenly pour the mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and the center is not jiggly. Baking Tips – All ovens vary and so keep an eye on your casserole and be the judge when it's done or not. I prefer to bake this casserole uncovered, on the middle oven rack, and find it important to rotate my bakish dish once midway through baking for the most even cooking and browning.
- Optionally dust with confectioners' sugar (place a bit in a small fine mesh strainer) and dust. Optionally also serve with raspberry jam. Flavor Notes – For me, the dish is a great balance of savory with a bit of sweet. However, if you don't like to mix any sweet flavors with your savory, then omit the confectioners' sugar and jam.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I used this recipe as written, except I replaced the bread with king’s Hawaiian rolls that I needed to use. ..delicious!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it was delicious!
Nice recipe.
Nice post