Monte Cristo Casserole turns the sweet-and-savory sandwich into a make-ahead brunch bake: cubes of French bread layered with turkey, ham, Swiss and cheddar, soaked in an egg and milk custard, baked until golden, then dusted with confectioners’ sugar and served with raspberry preserves. You build it the night before (or at least 1 hour ahead), and in the morning it goes straight into the oven. It serves 8.
How to make it: Layer half the bread cubes, turkey, ham and both cheeses in a greased 9×13-inch dish, then repeat. Whisk 12 eggs with 2 cups of milk, pour it over, cover and chill 1 hour or up to overnight. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40 minutes, until the center reads 165°F. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with raspberry preserves.
What Is a Monte Cristo Casserole?
A Monte Cristo is a sandwich filled with deli meat, coated in batter and deep-fried, then served with raspberry preserves for dipping. The casserole keeps the same flavors, bread, ham, turkey and cheese, but layers them in a baking dish under a savory egg custard and bakes it instead of frying. It’s sturdy enough to cut into squares and tender enough to eat with a knife and fork, like a strata. The sweet side comes from the confectioners’ sugar on top and the preserves on the side.
Why You’ll Love It
- Made the night before: assemble it, chill it, bake it in the morning.
- Sweet and savory: salty ham and melted cheese with a dusting of sugar and a spoonful of jam.
- Uses up leftovers: a good home for leftover holiday turkey and ham.
- Feeds a crowd: one 9×13-inch dish serves 8 for brunch.
Ingredient Notes
French bread: One 16-ounce loaf, cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Another rustic bread works, and the cubes can be a little bigger or smaller. Brioche is the richer choice; use 1 pound of it, cut the same way.
Turkey and ham: Half a pound of each, cooked and cut into 1/4-inch cubes, about 1 1/2 cups each. Leftover roast turkey and holiday ham, or sliced deli turkey and cooked ham, all work. Honey ham adds a little sweetness.
Swiss and cheddar: One cup of each, shredded. Swiss is the classic Monte Cristo cheese; mild cheddar melts smoothly next to it. Your favorite cheeses can stand in.
Eggs and milk: Twelve large eggs and 2 cups of whole milk make the custard. 2% milk works too.
For serving: Confectioners’ sugar for dusting and raspberry preserves on the side. Strawberry jam is fine too.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, for the dish
- 1 loaf (16 ounces) French bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, divided
- 1/2 pound cooked turkey, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
- 1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- Raspberry preserves, for serving
How to Make Monte Cristo Casserole
1. Prepare the dish. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Layer the bread, meat and cheese. Add about half of the bread cubes to the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the turkey (about 3/4 cup), half of the ham (about 3/4 cup), 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining bread, turkey, ham and both cheeses.
3. Whisk the custard. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined.
4. Pour and chill. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, meat and cheese layers. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
5. Heat the oven. When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F and take off the plastic wrap.
6. Bake. Bake for 40 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the center doesn’t jiggle and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
7. Dust and serve. Let the casserole cool slightly, then dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm with raspberry preserves.
How to Make It Ahead (and What to Chill)
This is a make-ahead casserole, and the chill is part of the recipe. Here’s how the timing works:
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Layer bread, turkey, ham and cheese; pour over the custard | The night before, or at least 1 hour ahead |
| Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate | 1 hour minimum, up to overnight |
| Remove the wrap and bake uncovered at 350°F | 40 minutes, to 165°F in the center |
| Dust with confectioners’ sugar | After baking, once it has cooled slightly |
Keep it cold until it bakes. The assembled casserole is raw egg and milk, so it stays in the refrigerator until it goes in the oven. Perishable food shouldn’t sit out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).
Bake it on the middle rack. Rotate the dish once halfway through so it browns evenly, and start checking a few minutes early, since ovens vary.
Use a thermometer, not just the jiggle test. A set center and golden edges are good signs, but USDA FSIS lists casseroles at 165°F and eggs at 160°F, so 165°F in the center covers both. The turkey and ham are already cooked; they only need to heat through.
Sugar goes on last. Dust the top after baking, not before. A small fine mesh strainer spreads it evenly.
Sweet or Savory?
Both, and you choose. The confectioners’ sugar and raspberry preserves give it the Monte Cristo sweet side. If you don’t like sweet with savory, leave the sugar off and treat it as a ham and cheese egg bake. For a group, put the sugar and preserves on the table so everyone adds their own.
Variations
- Brioche: swap the French bread for 1 pound of brioche in 1/4-inch cubes for a softer, richer bake.
- Different cheeses: use your favorite shredded cheeses in place of the Swiss and cheddar.
- Lighter custard: use 2% milk instead of whole milk.
- All savory: skip the sugar and preserves.
- Different jam: strawberry instead of raspberry.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of taking the casserole out of the oven (1 hour if the room is above 90°F), in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze the baked casserole. Cool it within that 2-hour window (hot food can go straight into the refrigerator), cover and chill it, then freeze it labeled and dated for 3 to 4 months. A disposable foil pan keeps your baking dish free.
Thaw and reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator, about 24 hours. Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F; in the microwave, rotate it and add a splash of liquid if it looks dry. Frozen casserole can go straight into the oven but takes longer. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker. Add the confectioners’ sugar after reheating.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a side of fresh fruit or a green salad, plus extra preserves or maple syrup at the table. For a bigger brunch spread, add overnight crème brûlée French toast or a homestyle bacon and cheese quiche. More make-ahead breakfast casseroles: breakfast casserole with tater tots and sausage, bacon, egg and cheese biscuit casserole, bacon egg and hash brown casserole and sausage, egg and cream cheese hash brown casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to chill it overnight, or can I bake it sooner?
Chill it at least 1 hour so the bread soaks up the custard. Overnight works too, which makes it an easy morning bake.
Can I make it ahead or freeze it?
Yes. Assemble it the night before and bake in the morning, or freeze the baked casserole for 3 to 4 months and thaw it in the refrigerator.
What bread works best: French bread, brioche or croissants?
This recipe uses a loaf of French bread. Brioche works the same way and makes it richer. Croissant casseroles use their own amounts, so stick with French bread or brioche for this recipe.
When does the powdered sugar go on?
After baking, once the casserole has cooled slightly. Serve the raspberry preserves on the side.
How do I know it’s done?
The edges are golden brown, the center doesn’t jiggle, and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
Final Notes
Cube the bread and meat the night before, and the casserole takes about 20 minutes to put together. Keep the sugar and jam on the table and let everyone decide how sweet they want it. If you make it, tell me in the comments whether you went sweet or savory.
Monte Cristo Casserole
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Ingredients
- cooking spray for the dish
- 1 loaf French bread 16 ounces, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, divided
- 1/2 pound turkey cooked, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, about 1 1/2 cups, divided
- 1/2 pound ham cooked, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, about 1 1/2 cups, divided
- 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded, divided
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- confectioners' sugar for dusting
- raspberry preserves for serving
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add about half of the bread cubes to the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the turkey (about 3/4 cup), half of the ham (about 3/4 cup), 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining bread, turkey, ham and both cheeses.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread, meat and cheese layers. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F and take off the plastic wrap.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the center does not jiggle and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
- Let the casserole cool slightly, then dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm with raspberry preserves.
Notes
Nutrition
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