I think this may be my favorite breakfast recipe that I've come up with so far.
Traditionally, a Monte Cristo is a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, dipped in egg, and fried. I've been to places that also use turkey or bacon in addition to the ham, and I've always had them dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of fruit preserves.
A strata is a variation of a breakfast casserole in which bread, soaked with eggs and milk, is layered between cheese and other fillings, then baked. The recipe below is a marriage between the two, in individual portions.
Note: This recipe needs to be prepared a day (or at least 8 hours) in advance.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 - 1 Tbsp of butter, softened
4 cups of cubed stale bread, preferably a baguette (about 1/2 of a baguette from Whole Foods)
7 large eggs, divided
3/4 cup of whole milk, divided
1 tsp salt
3 oz deli turkey, diced
3 oz deli ham, diced
6 oz Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
1 to 2 tsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
powdered sugar, for dusting
fruit preserves, for serving
Directions
One day in advance:
Grease 6 8-oz. ramekins with the softened butter. Place half of the cubed bread in the bottom of each ramekin; try to place them in a single layer. Layer half the cheese, then the turkey and ham, then top with the remaining cheese.
In a large bowl with a spout, beat together 6 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1 tsp of salt. Divide the liquid evenly among each ramekin. I do this by carefully pouring the liquid about halfway up each ramekin, then going back and filling each ramekin a little bit more with whatever liquid is remaining. Cover each ramekin and place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture.
Beat the remaining egg and 1/4 cup of milk together with a pinch of salt. Toss this mixture in a bowl with the other half of the cubed bread, then cover and place in refrigerator along with the ramekins. This will be the top layer of the stratas - you're storing them separately to also give it time to soak up the egg mixture evenly.
On the day of:
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the ramekins and the egg-soaked bread from the refrigerator. Uncover the ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Carefully press down on the contents of each one to lightly pack the layers in, now that the bread has soaked up the egg mixture. Carefully mound the separate egg-soaked bread on top of each, and place small pieces of cold butter on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If the tops start to brown too quickly, place foil over top. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fruit preserves.
Visuals
The ingredients. I say this all the time, but shred your own cheese if you can!
Ramekins, coated with softened butter.
Bottom layer of bread cubes.
Layers of cheese, ham & turkey, then more cheese. The layers will reach the tops of each ramekin, but not to worry! There will still be room for the final layer of bread on top. Trust me.
To make sure you're evenly distributing the egg mixture among each strata, fill each one halfway up, then go back and distribute what's left of the mixture among each one.
The remaining bread in a separate bowl, along with one egg beaten with 1/4 cup of milk. At this point, the ramekins and this bowl of bread should be covered and stored separately in the refrigerator.
On the day of baking. The mini stratas after being gently pressed down to allow for a little more room for the top layer of bread. Since the bottom layer of bread has softened from soaking up the egg mixture overnight, you should be able to pack the layers in a bit.
The separate bowl of bread should have also soaked up its own egg/milk mixture.
This is what the stratas should look like after placing the top layer of bread. Don't be afraid to mound it so it all fits.
Arranging the ramekins on a baking sheet makes transport to the oven much easier and will also serve to catch any overflow during the baking process. You can line your sheet with foil for easier clean-up.
Tiny pieces of cold butter arranged on the bread to help brown and crisp up the top, an homage to the "fried" texture of a traditional Monte Cristo.
After baking.
A closer look at the melty and crispy goodness.
A dusting of powdered sugar finishes it off.
And don't forget the fruit preserves. I used lingonberry, but strawberry or a mixed berry would be just as good.
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