Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable)
Baked layers of ham, turkey, Swiss, and brioche in golden custard, finished with powdered sugar.
# What You Need:
→ Bread & Dairy
01 - 8 slices brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 2 cups whole milk
03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
05 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, cubed and softened
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
→ Meats
07 - 1 cup cooked ham, diced
08 - 1 cup cooked turkey breast, diced
→ Sweet & Seasoning
09 - 1/4 cup raspberry preserves (plus extra for serving)
10 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
12 - 1/4 tsp kosher salt
13 - 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.
03 - Layer half of the bread cubes evenly in the baking dish. Sprinkle half of the ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese over the bread. Dot with half of the cream cheese cubes.
04 - Drizzle half of the raspberry preserves over the layer. Repeat with remaining bread, meats, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, and raspberry preserves.
05 - Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole, pressing gently to soak the bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best flavor.
06 - Remove from refrigerator while oven preheats. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden and set.
07 - Cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm, with extra raspberry preserves on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It captures everything magical about a Monte Cristo sandwich in a form that feeds a crowd without standing at a stove for hours.
- The overnight prep means you wake up like a breakfast wizard while everyone thinks you put in way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
- The overnight rest is not optional if you want that perfect, French toast consistency throughout rather than eggy bread with soggy spots.
- Letting it sit for 10 minutes after baking seems unnecessary but gives the custard time to set up so you get clean squares instead of a messy scoop situation.
03 -
- Cube your bread slightly larger than you think you should, because it shrinks as it soaks up the custard overnight.
- Really press the bread down into the liquid when you are assembling it, because dry spots in the middle are disappointing and easily avoided.