Oh la la! This savory ham and cheese croissant bake inspired by the classic French croque monsieur sandwich and filled with buttery layers of croissant, sliced ham, melted gruyere cheese, and creamy dijon-béchamel baked together in a custardy egg mixture.
Croque Monsieur Croissant Bake is perfect for brunch! It’s rich, hearty and feeds a crowd. Each bite is loaded with ham, melty cheese and creamy béchamel sauce so it’s hard to resist having seconds!
This casserole can even be assembled in advance and baked fresh for breakfast the next morning. Serve it with a zippy green salad and cornichons on the side and you’re good to go!
The French are known for whipping up delicious, indulgent dishes! For more French-inspired recipes check out: Vegetarian French Onion Soup, Pork Tenderloin au Poivre, Creamy Mushroom Chicken, and Lyonnaise Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All you need to make this recipe is 8 simple ingredients: day-old croissants, gruyére (or swiss) cheese, sliced ham, butter, flour, milk, eggs, and dijon mustard.
Recipe Step by Step:
Step One: Make the béchamel.
Step Two: Slice the croissants in half and layer with béchamel, ham and gruyere cheese.
Step Three: Arrange the croissants into a greased baking dish.
Step Four: Whisk together the eggs and milk, pour over the croissants. Top with the remaining cheese. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Step Five: Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately!
Overnight Instructions: To prepare Croque Monsieur Croissant Bake ahead of time follow the recipe as instructed up until it’s time to bake. Cover the unbaked egg and custard-soaked croissants with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning uncover and bake as directed.
FAQs and Expert Tips:
A Croque Monsieur is a hot French sandwich made with two slices of bread, Emmental or Gruyere cheese, sliced ham and creamy béchamel sauce. It’s typically baked in an oven or fried in a pan. The French word “croque” is based on the verb “croquer”, which means to bite or to crunch. The word monsieur and translate to “mister.” Mister Crunch! A Croque monsieur with a fried egg on top is called a Croque Madame or Mistress Crunch.
You don’t need much! A simple fresh salad like: Herb Salad with Shaved Parm or The Everyday Dinner Salad is perfect. I also like to set out some cornichons and extra dijon mustard.
Check Out More Great Breakfast Recipes:
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Croque Monsieur Croissant Bake
Ingredients
- 6 large day old croissants or 9 mini croissants
- ½ lb sliced ham
- ½ lb sliced Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 c milk
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Béchamel Sauce
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 ½ c milk
- 2 tbsp mustard dijon or whole grain
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Béchamel
- First, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously until the butter and flour are well combined and foaming but still very pale in color, about 2 minutes. Slowly stream in the milk whisking continuously until the mixture is pale and smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat, whisk in the mustard, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Set aside.
Croissant Bake
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with a bit of butter.
- Slice the croissants in half through the middle so you have a top and bottom. Brush each half with a generous layer of béchamel then layer 1-2 slices each of ham and cheese, reserve a few few slices of cheese to top the croissants at the end. Put the tops and bottoms back together and arrange them into the baking dish. Depending on the size of your croissants they may not fit perfectly you will have to play around with it a bit. You can cut a few in half if you need to. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the croissants. Press down on the croissants to help them absorb the eggs and milk. Let sit for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hrs) before baking. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the croissants, bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Croissants: Day old, slightly stale croissants are best because they will soak up more liquid from the custard.
- Ham : any type of ham will be just fine for this recipe.
- Gruyère Cheese: If you can’t find Gruyère use swiss cheese instead.
- To prepare Croque Monsieur Croissant bake ahead of time follow the recipe as instructed up until it’s time to bake. Cover the unbaked egg and custard soaked croissants with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning uncover and bake as directed.
- Leftovers will stay fresh covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a preheated 350F oven for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave.
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