PARTNER POST: We’ve teamed up with Bonne Maman to bring you the best homemade breakfast and brunch recipes to show Mom you care this Mother’s Day and all spring long.
Loaded with ham, brie, and strawberry preserves, this breakfast sandwich combines the classic Monte Cristo with French toast.
I rarely make pancakes and french toast, which makes it really special when I have them. And if someone would make me breakfast in bed some time (hint-hint), this Ham and Brie Monte Cristo French Toast would make me really happy.
Mother’s Day is coming. (hint-hint)
As a mom, one of the things I love about Mother’s Day is being pampered. My idea of pampering doesn’t mean having a spa day or something to that effect — it’s more about putting my feet up and letting people take care of me. When someone cooks for me, it means the world to me. Gifts and flowers are nice, but food is the way to my heart.
This Mother’s Day, why not pamper the mom(s) in your life with a delicious sweet and savory breakfast in bed? The sweet ingredient of your breakfast should start with Bonne Maman preserves, which have been a favorite of mine for years.
“Bonne Maman” also happens to mean Grandmother or Granny, making it even more suitable for Mother’s Day!
Bonne Maman is delicious and made from simple, wholesome ingredients that can be found in anyone’s pantry.
Bonne Maman preserves and jellies are made with natural ingredients and feature the finest quality fruit. They’re Non-GMO Project Verified, have no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial coloring, and no preservatives are added.
The strawberry preserves are the stand out in this dish, as far as I’m concerned. They’re so sweet and are bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, which ties all of these ingredients together perfectly.
The funny thing about my choosing to do this recipe is that I’ve never had a Monte Cristo sandwich. I’ve always thought about trying one, but just never gotten around to it. I’ve been missing out, and couldn’t get enough of the sweet and savory flavors in this french toast.
Cheese platters are one of my favorite things on the planet to indulge in because of the sweet and savory combination. I especially love brie cheese with fruit and preserves (see my mini phyllo bites and fig crostini for proof), so I knew I had to incorporate it into this french toast.
I used a good quality black forest ham because there’s no skimping where mom is concerned. I chose challah bread for this recipe because it’s so soft and fluffy — it’s my go to for baked french toast!
This Ham and Brie Monte Cristo French Toast was soft and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, just the way it should be. Serve it with some powdered sugar and fresh strawberries for mom if desired. And coffee….don’t forget the coffee! This is the perfect breakfast in bed, and I’d love nothing more than to have it again on Mother’s Day.
Be sure and check out Bonne Maman’s sweepstakes for a chance to win a 12-piece Le Creuset Cookware Set or 1,000 other prizes that are available! Click below.
For another recipe idea, check out these strawberry muffins.
Click here for the written recipe.
Monte Cristo French Toast
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Loaded with ham, brie, and strawberry preserves, this breakfast sandwich combines the classic Monte Cristo with French toast.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or canola oil (as needed)
- 8 slices challah bread (cut into 3/4? slices)
- 8 – 10 ounces black forest ham (sliced into 1/4? slices or use deli meat (you may not need all of it))
- Half a wheel of brie cheese (thinly sliced)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 13 ounce jar Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for serving (optional))
- Fresh strawberries (for serving (optional))
Instructions
- Place the thinly sliced brie over the (4) bottom slices of the challah bread, followed by the black forest ham. Top with the (4) top slices of bread.
- In a pie plate or shallow dish, whisk together the milk, eggs, and maple syrup until well combined.
- Grease a nonstick skillet, cast iron skillet, or griddle with cooking spray or oil and heat over medium heat. Dip each sandwich into the milk mixture, allowing the bread to soak up the liquid, then turn over and repeat on the other side and shake off the excess mixture. Place in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- Remove the french toast from heat and spread 1-2 tablespoons of the Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves on the top slice of each. Place each on a plate and dust with the powdered sugar, if using. Serve with fresh strawberries if desired and more strawberry preserves. Enjoy!
Notes
I slathered a large amount of strawberry preserves on the top slice of challah bread before cooking the french toast, which resulted in it becoming a bit soggy. I did this because I wanted to highlight the preserves in my photos, so if you’d like to avoid soggy bread, I recommend spreading the preserves on after cooking.
I used skim milk in this recipe, but you can use any type that you have on hand.
The challah bread may be substituted with your favorite.
The serving size listed here is just a rule of thumb because it can change dramatically depending on the size of your slices of bread.
- Category: Breakfast
