Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole (Printable Version)

Cinnamon-vanilla soaked 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 or chicken, chopped

→ Toppings

10 - Powdered sugar for serving
11 - Maple syrup for serving

# How To Make:

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 the 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 absorb liquid.
07 - Bake covered for 30 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until casserole is set and top is golden brown.
09 - Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes of prep, then the oven does the heavy lifting while you pour coffee and set the table.
  • You can make it the night before and just slide it in the oven in the morning, which means sleeping in is actually possible.
  • The combination of ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese tastes fancy but feels completely comforting and familiar.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 15-minute rest time after pouring the egg mixture, even though it feels like you're wasting time because the bread really does need those minutes to absorb the liquid.
  • If you make this the night before, the casserole will actually bake faster because the ingredients have been cold and mingling together, so start checking it around 40 minutes.
03 -
  • Using day-old bread that's slightly stale makes all the difference because fresh bread tends to get mushy rather than custardy.
  • Don't let the casserole sit in the egg mixture for more than 15 minutes before baking, or the bread in the center will get soggy and collapse.
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