Make Christmas morning easy with this make ahead breakfast recipe!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Really easy casserole to make and prep ahead of time
- Great on Christmas morning or as a unique weeknight dinner
- Fun to serve for overnight guests (and feed your whole family, too)
Sweet, smoky, and savory flavors combine with creamy and crisp textures for complete perfection in every bite. This Monte Cristo casserole recipe is a brunch bake that you'll crave not only on holiday mornings but every day of the week!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Spread the toast with peach butter and sprinkle with pecans.
- Layer swiss cheese, deli meat, and peach-buttered toast. Repeat.
- In a large bowl, whisk milk, eggs, cream, and salt.
- Pour egg mixture over casserole, and, just before baking, sprinkle with bread crumbs mixture.
🥫 Storage
Monte Cristo sandwiches always go quickly, so you can bet on Monte Cristo casserole disappearing before your eyes! However, if you do happen to have leftovers, seal 'em up with a bit of plastic wrap or another airtight container.
The leftover casserole will last for a few days in the refrigerator or two months in the freezer. You'll want to let frozen leftovers thaw in the fridge.
Then, reheat the Monte Cristo casserole in the oven until it's warmed through. You can use the microwave if you're starving, but it won't be as crisp.
📖 Variations
Monte Cristo casserole is one of those great recipes that you can switch up in so many ways!
- Slices of Bread: Cut up a loaf of French bread or use cinnamon raisin bread slices for a different taste. Some even like to use English muffins!
- Fruity Flavors: If you're struggling to find either peach butter or raspberry preserves, swap it for something similar. For example, apricot or orange would taste great in place of the peach, while strawberry or raspberry jam works in place of the preserves.
- Layer of Ham: Black forest ham is our favorite, but you can swap it for Canadian bacon if you prefer.
- Layer of Turkey: Deli turkey is easy to buy all year-'round, but you could use some leftover Thanksgiving turkey in this holiday brunch!
- Cheese, Please: Not all kinds of cheeses can be swapped for Swiss, but Gruyere and Jarlsberg do a good job as a replacement!
- Sweeter Option: Monte Cristo casserole has both savory and sweet notes. Enhance the sweet ones by drizzling maple syrup over top.
- Savory Option: Prefer a more savory sandwich flavor? No problem. Leave the powdered sugar sprinkle off of the top of the casserole. Some people like to add a dab of dijon mustard to each slice of toast, too.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: You can make this casserole ahead of time-just leave off the bread crumbs until you're ready to put it in the oven. Either refrigerate the casserole overnight or freeze it for two months. Let thaw before baking.
- To turn a 9x13-inch baking pan into a 9-inch square pan, line the 9x13 with a long piece of tin foil. Add the four pieces of bread to the bottom of the pan, pushed up against one of the 9-inch edges. Make your layers. Then, fold the excess side of the foil up against the bread to act as a new edge of the pan. You can ball up some extra foil and put it on the unlined side of the pan to support the foil edge and hold it in place.
- Don't burn your toast, but don't leave it too light, either. A good amount of toasting prevents the casserole from tasting too soggy and soft.
- Toast your bread under the broiler in the oven (on an ungreased sheet pan) to make prep faster, especially if you have a small toaster. Watch it carefully, though-the broiler is more powerful than a standard toaster!
- Make sure your hands are dry before you push the breadcrumb topping down. Otherwise, it'll all stick to your hands! You could use the back of a spoon if you don't want to use your hands at all.
👩🍳 FAQs
A Monte Cristo is a ham and cheese sandwich that is dipped in a mixture similar to french toast batter. Then, it's fried until crisp. It's sort of a Californian twist on the French Croque Monsieur. If your kids ask, you can tell them it's like a fancy grilled cheese-gets 'em excited every time!
I love this recipe because it's basically a full meal on its own, which makes it the perfect breakfast for busy mornings and Christmas brunch when you just want to relax. Sometimes we'll eat it with a side of fruit. Don't forget the chipotle raspberry sauce!
Sure thing! Putting the casserole in an aluminum foil dish is great if you want to give it to neighbors or family. Of course, disposable dishes are also fabulous if you don't want to do any chores-easy cleanup!
📚 Related recipes
- Spicy, sweet, and oh-so-satisfying on a chilly day, these Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits will have you licking your lips-and fingers-clean!
- There's something so scrumptious about pairing a fruit, salty meat, and cheese together-this Baked Brie, Apple, and Bacon Appetizer has it all!
🍽️ Serve with...
📞 The last word
I love a good brunch - and let me tell you, this one is GREAT. It's just so easy but it tastes all kinds of fancy!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Monte Cristo Casserole
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 12 slices white bread, sandwich style slices
- ½ cup peach butter, may omit
- ½ cup chopped, pecans
- 4 ounces Swiss cheese, thinly sliced Swiss cheese
- 6 ounces deli smoked turkey, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces deli black forest ham, thinly sliced
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk, whole milk works best
- ½ cup half and half, (light) cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon if using regular table salt
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
- 1 cup raspberry preserves
- ¼ teaspoon powdered chipotle
Instructions
- Prepare a 9-inch square baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
- Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Toast the bread and spread each slice with the peach butter.
- Lay 4 slices of the toast with peach butter side up in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle with ½ the pecans.
- Cover with ½ of the cheese.
- Cover the cheese with ½ the turkey and then cover that with ½ of the ham.
- Repeat layers, ending with the last four pieces of toast - add them peach butter side down.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, and salt together until well blended.
- Pour slowly over the casserole. (You can stop at this point, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)
- Mix the breadcrumbs, cinnamon, and sugar and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Gently but firmly press the top down.
- Bake at 375F for 50 minutes.
- Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Cut into squares, dust tops with powdered sugar, and drizzle with the raspberry chipotle sauce.
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
- Mix the chipotle powder into the raspberry preserves.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until preserves are syrupy.
- Stir to blend.
Notes
- To turn a 9x13-inch baking pan into a 9-inch square pan, line the 9x13 with a long piece of tin foil. Add the four pieces of bread to the bottom of the pan, pushed up against one of the 9-inch edges. Make your layers. Then, fold the excess side of the foil up against the bread to act as a new edge of the pan. You can ball up some extra foil and put it on the unlined side of the pan to support the foil edge and hold it in place.
- Don't burn your toast, but don't leave it too light, either.
- Make sure your hands are dry before you push the breadcrumb topping down. Otherwise, it'll all stick to your hands!
- You could use the back of a spoon if you don't want to use your hands at all.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published December 15, 2015. Last updated November 7, 2022 for better images and editorial content.
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