croque monsieur casserole
Growing up in the Midwest, I am all about comfort food, especially when it comes to breakfast. I find a lot of similarities between French food and Indiana food – lots of butter, ham, cheese and bread – so I took my favorite Parisian sandwich and made it into a brunch casserole.
Using cut up croissants (day old are even better), I mix eggs, butter and heavy cream to make a savory bread pudding before adding cheese and ham. Once the casserole is baked, I top it with a classic béchamel sauce and parsley for a rich, delicious and easy breakfast for a large group.
The Recipe
Croque Monsieur Casserole
- 12 pre-baked croissants (day old is good, as it will soak up the egg mixture even better)
- 8 eggs
- 2 ounces butter, melted
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces ham, diced
- 8 ounces Swiss or Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 16 oz milk
- 1/8 onion (not diced)
- pinch of ground nutmeg or clove
- salt and pepper
- parsley leaves, minced
- Cut up the croissants into bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk together the eggs, melted butter and heavy cream until smooth.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick pan spray.
- Pour the egg mixture over croissants and stir until all of the croissant pieces are coated.
- Mix in the ham and shredded cheese and pour the mixture into the baking dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and cook for another 20 minutes or until the casserole is golden brown and cooked throughout.
- While the casserole is baking, in a small sauce pan melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes until the roux (butter/flour mixture) is lightly browned. This will remove any flour taste in the sauce.
- Whisk in the milk, onion, nutmeg and cook on low until the mixture thickens.
- Remove the onion and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon out a portion of the warm casserole on a plate and top with béchamel sauce and garnish with parsley. Bon Appétit!
Yield: 8-10 servings