Monte Cristo casserole takes your basic brunch plans and gives them a serious upgrade. Layers of ham, turkey, and Gruyere cheese get soaked in a rich custard then baked to a golden brown.

It’s got all the comforts of a classic Monte Cristo, dusted with a little confectioners’ sugar and served up with raspberry preserves for a sweet and savory combo. Make it the night before, bake it in the morning, and let everyone think you’re a brunch genius.

A slice of monte cristo casserole on a plate with green grapes.

Overnight breakfast recipes like this one are perfect for weekend brunches or family gatherings. This breakfast casserole is similar to our ham and cheese strata, but it has a sweet finish.

Here is Why This Overnight Brunch Bake Works

Perfect for Prepping Ahead: Make it the night before, and you’re practically on auto-pilot come brunch time. Just bake, serve, and soak up the compliments!

All the Monte Cristo Flavor, None of the Fuss: Get the ham, turkey, and Gruyere combo without standing over a griddle flipping sandwiches. Just layer, bake, and enjoy!

Crowd-Pleasing Comfort: This casserole recipe has all the cozy, indulgent vibes of a Monte Cristo but feeds a crowd with ease. No one’s going home hungry.

Sweet and Savory in Every Bite: Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of raspberry preserves, it hits that perfect sweet-savory balance.

The Ingredients

Meat: Ham, turkey
Dairy and cheese: Gruyere cheese, heavy cream, whole milk, butter
Pantry: Bread, Salt, black pepper, Confectioners’ sugar
Condiments: Dijon mustard, raspberry preserves

Ingredients used to for the monte cristo casserole.

Variations

Spinach and Mushroom Twist: Add a layer of sautéed spinach and mushrooms between the bread and cheese.

Jalapeño and Pepper Jack: Swap the Gruyere for pepper jack cheese and add thinly sliced jalapeños.

Breakfast Sausage Addition: Add a layer of cooked sausage crumbles and a sprinkle of green onions. Add grated Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere.

For more breakfast recipes, try our overnight French toast bake or our chorizo strata.

Tips for Success

Use Stale Bread. Day-old bread absorbs the custard better, giving it a firm yet tender texture. If you only have fresh bread, just dry it out in the oven first.
Letting it sit overnight allows the custard to fully soak into the bread.
Use a spatula to gently press down each layer so the custard reaches all the bread.
For a golden-brown finish, check the dish in the last few minutes of baking. If needed, switch to the broil setting to get a bit of extra color on top.
A light coat of spray on the foil prevents it from sticking to the top layer.

Sprinkling powdered sugar on a casserole with monte cristo flavors.

Storage

In the fridge: To store leftovers, let them cool to room temperature first. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For freezing: Place leftovers in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Thaw frozen pieces overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat individual portions in the microwave on medium power until warmed through, or bake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, until warm.

A spatula lifting a slice of a ham and turkey casserole.

Overnight Breakfast or Brunch Casserole Recipe

This Monte Cristo bake has everything you need for a brunch that’s as impressive as it is effortless. With layers of melty Gruyere, savory ham and turkey, and the sweet raspberry jam, it’s pure comfort in every bite! Plus, the overnight prep means you can kick back and relax come morning.

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Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole

This Monte Cristo casserole layers ham, turkey, and Gruyere cheese between chunks of custard-soaked bread, all baked until golden and topped with confectioners' sugar. Serve with raspberry preserves for that classic sweet-savory twist!

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Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 1 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 540kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

7 cups bread cubes about 24 ounces
10 whole eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
16 oz. leftover cooked ham thinly sliced (or sliced deli ham)
16 oz. leftover roast turkey breast thinly sliced (or deli sliced turkey)
3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (12 ounces)
½ cup butter melted
Confectioners’ sugar
Raspberry preserves

Instructions

Heat the oven to 225°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
Place the bread cubes in a parchment-lined baking pan in a single layer.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes to dry out. If you are using two or three day-old, stale bread then this step is not necessary.
Remove the bread from the oven and cool. Set aside until needed.
Combine the eggs, mustard salt, pepper, cream and milk in a food processor or regular blender. Process until well combined, then set aside until needed.
Arrange the separate dishes of the bread, egg mixture, ham, turkey and cheese on a workspace.

To Assemble the Casserole:

Add ⅓ of the bread to the bottom of the greased baking dish. Sprinkle ½ of the cheese on the bread, then ½ of ham slices and ½ of the turkey slices. Pour ⅓ of the egg custard over the layer.
Repeat with another layer: ⅓ of bread, cheese, ham and turkey and ⅓ of the egg custard.
Process the remaining ⅓ bread cubes crumbs in a food processor or blender. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top and pour the remaining custard over the casserole. With a spatula, press down lightly on the top.
Melt the butter in the microwave and drizzle over the top.
Coat one side of a large piece of foil with oil and cover the casserole, oil side down, and refrigerate overnight.

To Bake the Monte Cristo Casserole:

Heat the oven to 350°F and place the covered casserole dish in the middle position of the oven.
Bake covered for 50 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until puffy in the center. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
Transfer from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with a side of raspberry preserves

Notes

Stale bread is best for this recipe as it will absorb the custard easily. If the bread is fresh with excess moisture it should be dried out in the oven before using.
Choose a firm, rustic bread such as Pugliese or Italian sourdough.
Remove the crusts from the bread as they will not absorb the liquid well.
How do you measure 7 cups of bread? One option to measuring the bread chunks is to pile enough bread chunks into your baking dish to fill the dish ¾ full. Then remove the bread until ready to assemble the recipe.
Pressing the ingredients down with a spatula will help saturate the bread with the custard.
Do not forget to coat the foil with non-stick oil to keep it from sticking to the top of the casserole.