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Buttery croissants, smokey ham, and gooey cheese are all baked together for the ultimate breakfast casserole. Inspired by the French classic, Croque Monsieur, this is an easy-to-make recipe that’s heavenly served with powdered sugar, jam and perfect for breakfast, brunch, and a must for the holidays.
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Ham, cheese, eggs, and light, fluffy bread. That’s the stuff dreams are made of. Well, at least that’s true for my family. When all those things come together in one place like a make-ahead casserole, then let’s say life is grand!
One of my favorite brunch dishes is a French bistro classic, Croque Monsieur. The name means “Mister Crunch” and is a toasted sandwich made with ham and cheese. I’ve taken a few (well, maybe more) liberties with the original recipe method, put them all together, and turned everything into a casserole.
This recipe is effortless and comes together in just minutes. Like Sausage and Cheese Croissant Breakfast Bake, it’s the perfect make-ahead dish for a lazy weekend brunch. It makes a lovely light supper served with a fresh salad. And, I promise, this Ham and Cheese Croissant Breakfast Casserole will be everyone’s favorite when served on a holiday morning or family celebration, especially when it’s served with Easy Fruit Party Punch.
In This Post You’ll Find:
Ingredients For This Recipe:
Scroll Down For The Full Recipe
- Croissants – large or small
- Ham – I use sliced ham from the deli section
- Swiss or Gruyere Cheese
- Eggs – large eggs are the best for this recipe
- Half and Half or Whole Milk
- Dijon Mustard
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
What Makes Ham And Cheese Croissant Breakfast Casserole So Good?
Two things make this breakfast casserole so good. These simple tips will make your recipe turn out great every time.
Select croissants from the bakery section of your local grocery store or favorite bakery. Choose a nice, slightly smokey ham, and shred the cheese yourself.
Before baking, it’s essential to let the bread soak up the yummy, rich egg mixture. That’s done by covering the casserole and letting it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This recipe is ideal for making it ahead of time, so letting it sit overnight is recommended.
How To Store A Baked Casserole
This dish makes a marvelous leftover meal! Once baked, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheating in the oven is best, but you can also pop it into the microwave if you can’t wait.
Is This Recipe Freezer Friendly?
Yep, it sure is! After baking, wrap the casserole tight in plastic or foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the fridge, then reheat.
How To Serve This Croissant Breakfast Casserole
As if this casserole was not good enough, I like adding a few more touches to take it over.
I give the top a dusting of powdered sugar. Here’s how:
- put a couple of tablespoons of confectioners sugar into a small strainer and tap it against the palm of your hand while moving over the baked casserole. Add as much or little as you like.
What To Serve With This Yummy Goodness:
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Hashbrown Cassereole
- 3-Ingredient Fruit Dip
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Apple Cider Mimosas
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes
- Sausage And Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins With Lemon Glaze
- Ham and Cheese Strata
- Waldorf Salad
- Cheesy Sausage Cornbread Quiche
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium-sized croissants
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup half and half or whole milk
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
- 8 ounces deli or leftover ham (about 6 thin slices)
- 6 ounces shredded swiss or gruyere cheese
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 9×6 deep baking dish with cooking spray. **A 9×11 baking dish can also be used.**
- Tear croissants in half and place in prepared pan. Cut ham into thirds and nestle around the croissants. Sprinkle on shredded cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, Dijon mustard, and salt. Pour over croissants. Cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place covered breakfast casserole in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until hot and bubbly with a golden top.
- Remove casserole from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
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Nutrition
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Tippy
Beautiful! This was a huge hit at our holiday breakfast table. Delicious and a lovely presentation. Keeper!
Aksummergal
Just made this for Thanksgiving breakfast. My only regret was I didn’t double it! Served it with a dollop of Costco black cherry raspberry blood orange preserves. This will now be a tradition for our holiday breakfast, Thank you for making it so easy
Sheila Karns
Love lo e love this!
Its the trifecta of casseroles. Easy,elegant, & deliscious. It reminds me of the ham& cheese croissants in Paris!
I see you can make & freeze. Is it still just as good? Anyone done this? I want to make ahead for our girlfriend basshbut want it to still be amazing
Thanks
Hey Sheila! Thanks for your sweet words. Wow, I’m honored to be part of your party. 🥰
This casserole freezes really well. Just make sure to thaw it completely, then bake. If you bake it covered, take the foil off the last few minutes to let the bread get crispy on the top.
Let me know how it goes!
~Donya
Cammie Evans
Wow. Wow!! Our family spends summers on a lake in northern MN, and we are often looking for easy, delicious, stick-to-your ribs breakfast ideas that will feed our guests and us. This recipe fits the bill perfectly!! We serve with lingonberry jam for a little sweetness and tang. Love this recipe!
I love hearing this! Thank you for reaching out and for your terrific rating.
~Donya
Wendy Bell
My daughter cooked this for us this past weekend. It was awesome, you know how awesome when the kids go back for seconds.
I agree!
~Donya
Jean
I made this last night and baked it this morning. I basically halved it since there are only two of us. I used an 8×8 pan. I used three croissants and three extra large eggs. We enjoyed it and have leftovers for tomorrow morning. It is perfect with a fruit salad on the side.
It is definitely a keeper.
Sounds wonderful, Jean! Thank you so much for the terrific rating, too.
~Donya
Kelly Martin
I tried this recipe and unfortunately it came out so soggy and runny! What did I do wrong? I used the recommended pan size, followed the recipe exactly, etc.
Angie Weber
I loved your recipe. I didn’t have any powdered sugar, so I substituted drained pineapple slices and diced them and coated them in brown sugar and it was still very yummy…
Jenny
So good!! Used a 9×13, so added a few more eggs/milk & adjusted cooking time… served with warm raspberry jam drizzled… absolutely delicious 😋 reminds me of monte cristo sandwiches growing up! Thanks for an amazing recipe… great way to use up leftover Christmas ham!
~Jenny
Sheila Karns
I am a little confused.
In directions it says to use a deep 9×6 baker or 9×11 pan
In the comments you state you usually use a 9× 23 pan?
If I use a 9×13 will there be enough liquid?
Could I use a cast iron baking dish?
Thanks for your help!
9×23? The other size dishes listed in the recipe work great and using a cast iron pan will work beautifully.
~Donya