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This easy French toast casserole is everything you love about the classic Monte Cristo sandwich, transformed into an irresistible one-pan wonder! Layers of French bread soak in a rich vanilla custard, while honey ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese melt into perfection, and that buttery brown sugar base caramelizes into pure heaven. Trust me here—this is about to become your new holiday breakfast tradition!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- You can prep this baby the night before and wake up to just pop it in the oven. It can be ready in 30 minutes from fridge to table with zero morning stress—perfect for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or when you’ve got a houseful of hungry guests!
- This casserole easily serves 8-10 people, which means no standing at the stove flipping individual sandwiches while everyone else is having fun. Plus, kids go absolutely wild for this combo of sweet French toast and a savoury Monte Cristo. Serve this with non alcoholic POG Juice for the kids and POG Juice Mimosas for the adults.
- It actually tastes better when made ahead! I’m not exaggerating—letting this sit overnight transforms good into spectacular. The bread soaks up all that delicious vanilla milk base, the flavors meld together, and you get this amazing custardy texture that’s crispy on top and creamy inside.
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What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Look, I learned this one the hard way—grab your empty baking dish and arrange those bread cubes before you do anything else. You want them snug but not crammed, with room for all that glorious custard to work its magic. If you’ve got too much bread, save some for snacking (or making croutons).
- Fresh bread gets too soggy, but slightly stale French bread? Chef’s kiss. It soaks up the custard perfectly without turning to mush. Cube your bread the night before and let it sit out uncovered—it’ll be perfect by morning.
- The butter-sugar base isn’t just greasing the pan, y’all. That melted butter and sugar mixture creates the most incredible caramelized bottom that’ll have everyone fighting over corner pieces. Make sure you spread it evenly, or you’ll have some very jealous breakfast guests.
- Give this casserole 10 minutes to settle after baking. It helps everything set properly, plus it won’t be lava-hot when you serve it. Use this time to warm your raspberry preserves—just microwave them for 30 seconds with a tablespoon of water for the right drizzling consistency.
Recipe Variations
Make it Sweeter: Add an extra ¼ cup sugar to the egg mixture and top with a cinnamon-sugar blend instead of plain brown sugar—perfect for those with a serious sweet tooth.
Savory All the Way: Skip the sugar coating entirely and add sautéed onions and bell peppers to the mix. Top with extra cheese for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Berries and Cream: Toss in 1 cup of fresh blueberries with the bread mixture for a fruity twist that pairs beautifully with the raspberry preserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but you really shouldn’t. Give it at least 4 hours in the fridge for the bread to properly absorb the custard. Overnight is best—the flavors really develop and you get that perfect texture.
Totally possible, just assemble it completely (but don’t bake), wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed.
Strawberry jam is fantastic, or try orange marmalade for a citrusy twist! Even maple syrup works beautifully if you want to skip the fruit preserves altogether.
Use day-old French bread (not fresh), don’t over-soak it, and make sure your oven is fully preheated. That initial high heat helps set the custard quickly.
More Holiday Breakfast Recipes
- The BEST Croissant French Toast Casserole
- Paleo Breakfast Bake with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
- Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- High Protein Pumpkin Pancakes (with Cinnamon Butter)
- Whole30 Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Eggs (Keto)
- Paleo Pumpkin Breakfast Bake
- Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese
- Red Eye Gravy with Country Ham
- Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Tonga Toast French Toast Casserole
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Monte Cristo French Toast Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Small saucepan
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
For the Casserole
- 8 ounces French bread cut into 1-inch cubes, about 8 cups
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 6 ounces honey ham about 6 slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 ounces deli turkey about 6 slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 ounces Swiss cheese about 6 slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
For Serving
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
- ½ cup raspberry preserves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat.
- Stir in 1/2 cup white sugar until dissolved and smooth.
- Pour the butter-sugar mixture into the bottom of the baking pan and spread evenly.
- In a medium bowl, toss together 8 oz French bread cut into cubes, 3 slices honey ham cut into 1-inch pieces, 3 slices deli turkey cut into 1-inch pieces, and 3 slices Swiss cheese cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Spread the bread mixture evenly over the butter-sugar layer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk 6 eggs, 2 cups milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until blended.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread, ensuring all pieces are coated.
- Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve with 1/2 cup raspberry preserves.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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