Description
Whip up this monte cristo breakfast casserole when weekend brunch needs a delicious upgrade that brings French toast and ham sandwich vibes together in one easy dish. Creamy layers of bread, ham, and Swiss cheese get dunked in an egg mixture and baked until golden and bubbling with comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 12 large eggs
- 0.5 pound turkey
- 0.5 pound ham
Dairy and Cheese:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup Swiss cheese
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese
Bread and Toppings:
- 1 loaf (16 oz) French bread
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Raspberry preserves
Instructions
- Coat your 9×13-inch baking dish generously with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Scatter 8 ounces of French bread cubes across the bottom of the prepared dish, creating an even first layer.
- Distribute ¾ cup turkey cubes uniformly over the bread layer.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup ham cubes across the turkey.
- Spread ½ cup Swiss cheese and ½ cup cheddar cheese over the meat layer.
- Repeat the layering process with remaining 8 ounces bread cubes, ¾ cup turkey, ¾ cup ham, and remaining cheeses.
- Crack 12 large eggs into a mixing bowl with 2 cups whole milk.
- Whisk the eggs and milk together until completely smooth and fully combined.
- Gently pour the egg mixture across the entire casserole, ensuring even coverage.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour, or ideally overnight.
- Remove casserole from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until edges turn golden and center becomes firm.
- Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes.
- Dust casserole generously with confectioners’ sugar.
- Serve warm alongside raspberry preserves.
Notes
- Refrigerating overnight helps the bread fully absorb the custard, creating a more consistent texture throughout the casserole.
- Use day-old or slightly stale bread to prevent the casserole from becoming too soggy during baking.
- For a lower-carb version, swap regular bread with low-carb or cauliflower bread alternatives.
- Experiment with different cheese combinations like Swiss, Gruyère, or provolone to customize the flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 397 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 285 mg