Monte Cristo Casserole — All the flavors of a classic Monte Cristo sandwich but in 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! Make-ahead assembly directions are provided to save time for stress-free busy holiday mornings or before a special brunch.
Table of Contents
This easy casserole recipe has all the flavors and ingredients of a Monte Cristo sandwich, but combines them in a scrumptious brunch or breakfast casserole.
There’s layers of tender brioche bread with cubed ham, sliced turkey, and both Swiss and cheddar cheeses. A mixture of eggs and milk is poured over before baking this hearty recipe.
I always top my Monte Cristo breakfast casserole with confectioners’ sugar both for a nice visual presentation and also for a touch of sweetness.
Additionally, dipping or adding some raspberry preserves or raspberry jam is a nice way to add some sweetness to the savory nature of the recipe. But both the powdered sugar and the preserves are optional.
If you’re wondering if you can assemble this recipe in advance or prep it in advance, you sure can. Read below for all the details.
Because let’s face it, if you’re serving this for a holiday brunch such as Christmas morning, Easter, or Mother’s Day, having it totally ready to go is key for a smooth and stress-free morning!
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 – a loaf of French bread may be substituted
- Deli turkey
- Cubed deli ham – or your leftover holiday ham!
- Shredded Swiss cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Large eggs
- Milk
- Powdered sugar, optional for dusting
- Raspberry preserves or jam, optional for serving
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 half sprinkle the turkey, half the ham, half of both cheeses. And the 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 together the eggs, milk, and evenly pour the mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish.
- 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!
FAQs
I like to use brioche bread, which is an egg-based, very slightly sweet, and perfectly soft bread. However, it 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.
No, this is not necessary. I pick up the loaf of brioche from my grocery store’s bakery area, and use it right away. Or if I a making the casserole the next day, by default it’s ‘day old bread’ although it’s not required. Dried out or older bread doesn’t soften as much from the egg mixture and stays firmer and more intact if this is a goal for you, so you can plan accordingly. French bread stays firmer than brioche.
Yes you do! This casserole easily serves 8, and closer to 10 if you’re serving it at a brunch where there are other things on the menu. So that’s really only about 1 egg per serving.
For 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.
They’re both optional but I like to use them because I am a huge savory-sweet person. The sweetness of the powdered sugar and the tangy sweetness of the raspberry jam or raspberry preserves (and raspberry jam isn’t as sweet as strawberry in my opinion) nicely balances the savory nature of the ham, turkey, and cheeses, but do as you wish and prefer.
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.
Yes you can. Read a couple sections above ‘Overnight Monte Cristo Casserole’ for the specifics. Basically you assemble it but don’t pour the egg and milk mixture over the top until you’re ready to bake it off.
Yes you can. Read the above section about Storage, specifically for the Freezer. You can freeze it but I freeze it after it’s been baked as opposed to unbaked casserole.
What to Serve with Monte Cristo Casserole
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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. Storage – Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven, as desired. For freezer storage, see Notes below.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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