Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable)

Cinnamon-vanilla soaked bread layered with ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, baked until golden and topped with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

# What You Need:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It brings together breakfast and lunch flavors in one dish, so no one argues over sweet versus savory.
  • You can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven when guests arrive.
  • It feeds a crowd without you having to stand over a griddle flipping individual sandwiches.
  • The cinnamon-vanilla custard soaks into every corner, so there are no dry bites.
02 -
  • If you skip the resting time before baking, the custard won't soak in evenly and you'll end up with soggy spots and dry corners.
  • Don't overbake it—once the center barely jiggles and the edges pull away slightly, it's done, or it'll turn rubbery.
  • Let it cool those final 10 minutes or it'll fall apart when you try to cut it.
03 -
  • Use day-old or lightly toasted bread cubes so they hold their shape and don't disintegrate into mush.
  • Press down on the casserole gently with a spatula a couple of times during the resting period to help the custard distribute evenly.
  • If the top starts browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
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