Croque Monsieur Croissant Bake
This savory ham and cheese croissant bake with creamy dijon bechamel is inspired by the classic french croque monsieur sandwich!
Servings: 6
Calories: 651kcal
Ingredients
- 6 large day old croissants or 9 mini croissants
- 1/2 lb sliced ham
- 1/2 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 1/2 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 9x13 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
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- 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.
Overnight Preparation Instructions:
Storing and Re-heating Leftovers
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 651kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 1779mg | Potassium: 396mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1232IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 460mg | Iron: 2mg