Monte Cristo Casserole

A make-ahead Monte Cristo breakfast casserole layered with savory ham and melty cheese, baked in a rich, custardy base for a sweet-and-savory dish that’s perfect for brunch or holiday mornings.

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword monte-cristo-casserole-recipe, monte-cristo-recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Chill Time 8

Total Time 9

Servings servings

Calories 629kcal

Ingredients

12 slices firm white bread or sourdough bread (24 ounce loaf)
1 1/2 pounds sliced ham
1 pound swiss cheese shredded (4 cups)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 1/2 cups half and half or heavy cream
10 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
powdered sugar and raspberry jam, for serving

Instructions

Lay bread slices out on a chopping board. (The bread I used was around 4-inches tall.)
In a medium bowl, mix together 3 cups swiss cheese with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
Divide the cheese mixture between the bread slices, spreading in a thin layer from end to end.
Arrange ham slices over the cheese on 6 bread slices. Top with matching slice of bread, then cut through the middle making 2 even pieces.
Spray a deep 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or brush with softened butter.
In a large shallow dish or medium bowl whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, salt, granulated garlic, onion, powder, ground mustard and ground nutmeg until fully combined.
Dip both sides of the sandwiches in the egg mixture. It's not necessary to soak the sandwiches, just a quick dip will do!
Arrange sandwich halves in the dish, sightly overlapping. (I cut one sandwich diagonally into four pieces and arranged it down the middle of the dish to fit)
Slowly pour any leftover egg custard evenly over the bread, allowing it to soak into the bread. Lift the pieces gently to pour over any bread slices that are covered. Sprinkle the top with the reserved shredded swiss cheese. (Be patient and pour slowly. If you dump all of the egg custard into the dish, it will settle and not soak into the pieces that are exposed.)
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4-8 hours, preferably overnight.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the casserole dish from the fridge and let stand for 20 minutes to come to room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly golden brown and puffed.
Let stand for 5 minutes then serve dusted with powdered sugar and raspberry preserves.

Notes

- Slicing Options: You may choose to cut the sandwiches into quarters and arrange them side by side in the baking dish. You should do this particularly if you want the egg custard to soak the entire sandwich. I'm demonstrating how the casserole will turn out when using half sandwich portions which gives more of a crusty texture to the end result. I cut one sandwich diagonally into four pieces and arranged it down the middle of the dish to fit all of the sandwiches.

- Bread: The bread I used in this casserole was a loaf of bread that was around 3.5-4 inches tall. I mention this, as a taller loaf of bread will allow more of the bread to be exposed sticking out of the dish. You can use white bread, a french loaf of bread or sourdough bread. A firm classic shaped loaf of bread works best for even baking and servings.

- Protein: You could use Canadian bacon or turkey ham in place of classic smoked ham. You can also use deli ham or deli turkey.

- Spices: Nutmeg gives just a hint of spice to the eggs. You could also add black pepper to your taste.

- Herbs: You may choose to add fresh herbs to the cheese such as parsley or chives.

- Cheese: Swiss cheese is a classic ingredient used for making monte cristo's. You could use a different cheese such as gruyere cheese or cheddar cheese, if that suits your personal taste best.

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