Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake
This Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake is the perfect holiday breakfast. Croissants, ham, Gruyere, and custardy eggs are layered together and baked into golden brown breakfast perfection! Think: delicious croque madame in casserole form! This recipe is so great for feeding a crowd and freezes beautifully. It’s even better if you serve it drizzled with a bit of hollandaise sauce!
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The Croissant Bake We Always Eat on Christmas Morning
I always throw an epic Christmas Morning Brunch with homemade bagels for an epic bagel board, plus gravlax, cinnamon rolls, and this delicious ham and cheese croissant bake! We celebrate Christmas morning with mimosas, espresso martinis, and a huge spread of food and it’s absolutely magical.
With that being said, the holidays can be such a busy time for hosting and entertaining, and it’s nice to have an easy (and delicious!) breakfast option on deck that always wows.
In this ham and cheese croissant bake, croissants are torn into pieces and layered with herby sautéed onions, ham, and gruyere, and soaked with a custardy egg mixture before being baked to golden-brown perfection.
You are going to LOVE this recipe, especially when it’s drizzled with my easy blender hollandaise sauce.
Jenny’s Tips for Making This Recipe
Use stale croissants. Stale croissants are so important when making this ham and cheese croissant bake! They absorb the custard better and don’t get mushy or soggy. When I know I’m making this recipe, I tear up my croissants and lay them on a baking sheet overnight.
Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is not the way as it’s usually coated in cellulose which keeps it from melting well. Skip the pre-shredded and bust out that cheese grater!
Choose quality ham. This is when I head to the deli counter and ask them to slice me some French ham or some quality uncured smoked ham. You could even use leftover holiday ham (we love this apricot glazed ham and this bourbon glazed ham!)
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The 9 Main Ingredients You’ll Need
- Croissants. Buy already baked, small croissants from the bakery section of your grocery store, not from the tube. The ones at Costco are fabulous. If you don’t want to use croissants, brioche or challah is a good contender.
- Ham. I like going to the deli and having them slice me some nice French ham or an uncured smoked ham.
- Gruyere. Make sure to grate the cheese yourself instead of buying pre-shredded.
- Onion. I’m a fan of yellow onion here, but you really can use any onion.
- Butter. Sautéing the onion in butter gives it great flavor and I like to grease the baking pan with butter too.
- Herbs. Fresh thyme and sage add tons of flavor here.
- Eggs. A must for creating a savory custard.
- Half and half. I don’t recommend downgrading to milk here. You can make half and half by mixing equal parts whole milk and heavy cream.
- Mustard. The mustard adds savory notes to the custard that play so well with the ham and gruyere. I used a blend of Dijon and and whole grain mustard, but use what you have.
How to Make the Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake
Jenny’s Tip: I tested this breakfast casserole with both a ceramic baking dish and a metal baking pan and I preferred the metal! It helped the bottom crisp up a bit more, I just preferred the photos taken in the baking dish. I love this 9×13 USA Pan!
- Prep the croissants. I like to tear mine into large pieces the night before and lay them out on a baking sheet overnight. You want them to be fairly stale to prevent your casserole from being mushy.
- Sauté the onions in butter. Once softened, add in the fresh sage and thyme. Your kitchen will already smell amazing at this point!
- Assemble the casserole. Always grease your baking dish to prevent sticking. Once that’s done, you can layer in the stale torn croissants, ham, shredded Gruyere, and sautéed onions. I typically do this in two batches to make lots of layers.
- Soak in the custard for 30 minutes before baking. The custard is a simple blend of mustard, eggs, spices, and half and half that’s whisked together and poured over the casserole.
- Bake until golden and puffed. If the croissants start browning too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Jenny’s Tip: Try serving this with crispy potatoes on the side and even a fried egg on top. My absolute favorite thing is to serve it alongside my easy blender hollandaise sauce! It takes this breakfast casserole to the next level.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The holidays are a busy time and having an easy breakfast you can prep in advance is everything! This ham and cheese croissant bake can be prepped in advance and baked off in the morning.
- Egg custard: Can be whisked together and stored in an airtight container overnight.
- Casserole: You can layer the croissants, cheese, onion, and ham together in a greased baking dish and wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, just pour the custard over the croissants, let it soak briefly, and bake as directed.
I do not recommend soaking the croissants overnight. While you technically can, the ham and cheese croissant bake will end up soggier than we like. I recommend prepping the components and keeping them separate until you plan to bake.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers and storage: Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in an oven preheated to 350F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. The oven method for reheating is best and gives the croissants some of their crispy texture back.
To freeze: Allow to cool completely, then tightly wrap casserole in plastic wrap and then into a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Press out as much air as possible before sealing as this helps prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat from frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Then, bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
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Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 large croissants
- 6 oz sliced ham
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- minced chives, for serving
- hollandaise sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the croissants. Tear the croissants into large pieces and lay them on a baking sheet. Let them get stale overnight. Alternately, you can put the tray into a 250 F oven for 40 minutes.
- Saute the onions. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet. Once the butter is hot and foamy, add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the chopped sage and thyme and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the onions are soft. Set aside.
- Prep the baking pan. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Layer the casserole. Lay about half of the torn croissants into the baking pan. Top with half of the ham, shredded gruyere, and all the sautéed onions. Top with the rest of the croissants, ham, and cheese.
- Make the custard. Whisk or blend together the half and half, eggs, dijon, whole grain mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper until very smooth and all the eggs are well-mixed. Pour the custard over the layered croissants, ham, and cheese and press the croissants into the mix. Let it soak for 30 minutes.
- Preheat an oven to 350 F.
- Bake. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top of the croissant bake is golden brown and puffed. Check 30 minutes into cook time – if the croissants are browning too quickly, you can cover with aluminum foil. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then garnish with chives and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
Made this on Thanksgiving for breakfast and it did not disappoint. The flavor combinations were incredible and everyone loved it.
Can you make this ahead of time and just cook the next day?
I do not recommend that as the croissants will be too soggy. You can assemble it, but leave adding the egg mixture until the morning and let it soak for a bit before baking it. Hope that helps!
This is the second time making!! So good. I made it for just my husband and I and used 10 small croissants with everything else the same. It turned out wonderfully.
This was absolutely delicious!! Made it for Easter brunch but will now be sure to make it for Christmas morning and any brunch occasion. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!