Monte Cristo Casserole has the savory and sweet flavors of the classic sandwich like ham, cheese, eggs, french bread and a dusting of brown sugar.
Lately, we’ve been loving turning our favorite recipes into casseroles. You get all the same taste, but it’s much easier to make for a big group. If you want to try more Breakfast Recipes like this, be sure to check out our fan favorite Croissant Club Sandwich Bake.
MONTE CRISTO CASSEROLE
Just like the sandwich, this casserole makes the perfect breakfast or brunch recipe. It’s great to serve on weekend mornings or bring to a Sunday brunch. Honestly, it’s so good we won’t blame you if you serve it for dinner too. With the sweet toppings and delicious filling it’s sure to be a favorite with kids and adults alike. Plus, it’s a nice change to typical breakfast recipes.
What is a Monte Cristo Sandwich?
A traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich is like a combination of a delicious ham and grilled cheese sandwich, and French Toast. This classic French dish is a simple ham and cheese sandwich that’s then dipped in an egg custard and grilled. The delicious grilled sandwich is then served with sugar and jelly if desired. It’s the perfect combination of savory meat, melty cheese, and sweet toppings. This casserole takes all of that and makes it easy to bake for a crowd.
LAYERING THE PERFECT MONTE CRISTO CASSEROLE
This delicious casserole is a new take on a classic Monte Cristo, however it’s layered with the same delicious ingredients. Here’s how to make sure you get all the taste in every bite:
- Start by spraying your casserole dish with cooking spray. Lay half your bread in a single layer across the bottom. You may have to cut some of the slices to fit properly.
- Next add the sandwich filling. That is, the turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese.
- Put the rest of the bread (or top of the sandwich) in a layer over the filling.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper for the custard. This is typically what you’d dip each sandwich in, but for this casserole you just pour it over the top.
- Mash together the butter, flour and brown sugar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the sandwich casserole. Put your casserole in the oven, and enjoy!
MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES FOR A CROWD
Croissant Club Sandwich Bake
Chocolate Chip Croissant Casserole
Blueberry Sausage Biscuit Casserole
Sheet Pan Pancakes
Make this ahead of time!
It’s also an easy recipe to make ahead of time. You can make a double batch of this casserole and keep one in the freezer, for the next time you need breakfast in a hurry. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prepare the casserole as directed in a 9×13 baking dish or divide evenly between 2 smaller (8×8) aluminum foil baking pans.
- Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, before freezing up to 3 months.
- Remove plastic wrap and foil before baking.
- Bake, covered with foil from frozen for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.
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VARIATIONS ON MONTE CRISTO CASSEROLE
- Meat: A classic Monte Cristo Sandwich is made with turkey and ham. However, if you want to change things up you could try using bacon, turkey bacon, or even putting some sausage in your sandwich.
- Cheese: You can also experiment with the cheese in your casserole. Instead of Swiss, try using cheddar, muenster, Gruyere, or Jack cheese.
- Bread: French bread tastes amazing in this casserole, but you can feel free to experiment with different kinds of bread. Try using sourdough bread, brioche, wheat bread, or challah.
- Toppings: Monte Cristo has a wonderfully unique combination of sweet and savory. In this recipe we have a brown sugar topping, however you can add even more to that sweetness. Monte Cristo is classically served with powdered sugar and jelly. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top while it’s still warm and put out jelly for everyone to add as much as they want.
MORE DELICIOUS BREAKFAST RECIPES
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (Copycat)
Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
Easy French Toast Bake
Easy Cinnamon Rolls (in 1 Hour!)
HOW TO STORE MONTE CRISTO CASSEROLE
- Serve: After baking your casserole, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Once you’ve let it cool down, you can store Monte Cristo Casserole in the fridge for up to a week. Cover the baking dish tightly, or put it in another airtight container.
- Freeze: To freeze your casserole put it in an airtight container. It will keep well for up to 3 months.
Monte Cristo Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 ounce loaf French Bread , sliced
- 6 slices ham
- 12 slices turkey breast
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese , sliced
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x10 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
- Line the baking dish with half of the bread.
- Layer with ham, turkey, cheese and the rest of the bread.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Pour mixture over the bread carefully.
In a small bowl mash together the unsalted butter, flour and brown sugar.
Sprinkle brown sugar topping over the bread and bake for 35-40 minutes until the custard is set and the croissants are golden brown.
- Top with powdered sugar and jam if desired.
What a delicious idea!! Love monte cristo sandwiches & this is great for feeding a crowd!
Definitely!
This looks absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to try it, I love ham and cheese! A great spin on a classic sandwich.
I hope you enjoy it, Matt.
Yes! Love this sandwich! Served with either raspberry jam or lingonberry jelly…or in a pinch served with cranberry sauce. So good! At breakfast it’s paired so perfectly with hashbrowns. At lunch it’s perfect with a cup of soup and a pickle spear. mmmmmmmm……I think I need to go make more!!
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Betsy. Perfect anytime of day!