Ingredients
To bring this dish to life, you’ll need a mix of pantry staples and a few special touches. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 8 slices of day-old challah bread or brioche
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/2 pound sliced deli ham
- 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
- Powdered sugar, for garnish
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
If you’re looking to switch things up, you can substitute the challah bread with any sturdy bread you have on hand. And if ham isn’t your thing, turkey works just as well!
Instructions
Let’s get cooking! Here are the steps to make your very own Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Layer half of the bread slices in the prepared baking dish.
- Top the bread with half of the ham slices, followed by half of the Swiss cheese.
- Spread half of the raspberry preserves over the cheese layer.
- Repeat the layering process with the remaining bread, ham, cheese, and preserves.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the layers, ensuring everything is well-soaked.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the custard is set.
- Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve warm and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: International