Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable)

Cinnamon-vanilla French 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

# How to Make It:

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 the 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 the bread absorb the liquid.
05 - Sprinkle shredded Swiss cheese evenly over the top.
06 - Cover the dish with aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the custard.
07 - Bake covered for 30 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the casserole is set and the top is golden brown.
09 - Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • You can assemble it the night before and just slide it into the oven when you wake up, which means more coffee time and less panic.
  • The combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup with savory ham and cheese feels indulgent without being overly sweet or heavy.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to stand at the stove flipping individual servings, so you actually get to sit down and eat with everyone.
02 -
  • If you skip the 15-minute soak before baking, the bread won't absorb the custard evenly and you'll end up with dry spots and soggy spots instead of a uniform texture.
  • Don't use pre-shredded cheese if you can help it; the anti-caking agents keep it from melting as smoothly, and freshly shredded Swiss makes a huge difference in creaminess.
03 -
  • Use a serrated knife to cut the casserole into clean squares; a regular knife will squish the custard and make it look messy.
  • If the top is browning too quickly but the center isn't set yet, tent it loosely with foil and keep baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
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