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Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole

Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole with puffed, golden domed edges made from torn Hawaiian sweet rolls, turkey, ham, and a rich Dijon custard. Baked until the bread is set and crisping at the edges, then served with powdered sugar, raspberry jam, and fresh berries.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 50 minutes
refrigerate overnight 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 440
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 1 1 loaf Hawaiian sweet rolls, torn into chunks Use Hawaiian sweet rolls for the sweet, tender crumb.
Meat
  • 0.5 lb ½ lb turkey, diced
  • 0.5 lb ½ lb Black Forest ham, diced
Cheese
  • 6 oz 6 oz Gruyère, shredded
  • 4 oz 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
Custard
  • 6 6 large eggs
  • 2 cup 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp ½ tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp ¼ tsp nutmeg
Serve
  • 1 powdered sugar, raspberry jam, and fresh berries to serve Serve alongside for a classic Monte Cristo sweet-tang contrast.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Assemble and chill
  1. Grease a 9x13 dish, then layer torn Hawaiian rolls, turkey, ham, and both cheeses in an even spread.
  2. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, Dijon, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg until smooth.
  3. Pour the custard over the layers and press down gently so the bread looks evenly soaked, then refrigerate overnight.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake at 350°F for 45–50 min, until the casserole is puffed and golden across the top with visible sweet-roll edges at the sides.
  2. Let it cool briefly, then dust with powdered sugar and serve with raspberry jam and fresh berries.

Notes

For clean slices, let the casserole stand 5–10 minutes after baking so the custard sets. Cover and refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave. Freezing is not recommended because the Hawaiian rolls can soften noticeably after thawing. For a lower-saturated-fat option, swap turkey and ham for an all-turkey or reduced-fat deli ham and use low-fat shredded cheese while keeping the custard ratios the same.