Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable)

French bread soaked in cinnamon custard, layered with ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, finished with syrup and powdered sugar.

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It bridges breakfast and lunch perfectly, satisfying both sweet tooth cravings and hearty appetites in one casserole.
  • You can assemble it the night before and just pop it in the oven when guests arrive, making hosting feel effortless.
  • The cinnamon vanilla custard soaks into every corner, so there are no dry bites, only golden, custardy layers.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which means you get that weekend brunch feeling even on a Tuesday morning.
02 -
  • Press the bread down into the custard mixture before baking, otherwise the top pieces stay dry and crunchy in the wrong way.
  • If you refrigerate this overnight, add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the covered baking time since it will be cold from the fridge.
  • Use day old or slightly stale bread, fresh soft bread can dissolve into mush under all that custard.
  • Dont skip the resting time after pouring the custard, it makes the difference between soggy bottom and evenly soaked perfection.
03 -
  • Use a serrated knife to cut the casserole into clean squares, it slices through the custard soaked bread without tearing.
  • If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
  • Reheat leftovers in a 300°F oven covered with foil to keep them moist, microwaving works but can make the texture rubbery.
  • Freeze individual portions wrapped tightly in foil, then reheat straight from frozen for an easy weekday breakfast that tastes homemade.
Go Back