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Stepping up our holiday breakfasts with this Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake. Buttery croissants, Brie cheese, prosciutto, and mushrooms, all tossed together in a mustard “cream” sauce, then baked to golden, cheesy perfection. This a cross between your favorite ham and cheese croissant sandwich and your mom’s old school Christmas morning strata. It feels extra fancy but is actually SO EASY, and of course, SO DELICIOUS. Bonus, it’s just as good for breakfast as it is dinner. And the best part? You can prep this croissant bake in advance, then bake it off just before you’re ready to serve. Perfect for holiday entertaining!
Ingredients
- Roughly torn, day-old croissants
- Salted butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Mixed mushrooms
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Garlic
- Fresh chopped thyme
- Heavy cream
- Whole milk
- Eggs
- Dijon mustard
- Cayenne pepper
- Prosciutto
- Brie cheese
- Swiss or fontina cheese
- Everything bagel spice
There are only two days left until Thanksgiving and oddly I am more prepared than ever. Why? Because I’m not cooking! Well, I mean, I will be cooking, but this year I won’t have our usual huge crowd. My family will be a bit split up (which is the weirdest thing). This is the first year in…ever…that I won’t be with them. It’s also the first time in many years that I will not be roasting a turkey on Thanksgiving Day. It’s OK though, I’ve already roasted two whole turkeys this month alone. Plus, there’s a very good chance I will do so again on Christmas. So, don’t you guys worry, I am not bummed.
All that said, while my family will be in Tahoe over Thanksgiving, almost everyone is currently here in Colorado now. My brothers have taken over my parent’s house. They’ve been making their way over to the HBH studio barn…just down the hill a little way…and requesting food and drink at least once a day. It’s the busiest time of year for us right now, but I just can’t say no to them.
Since everyone is here, I’ve been looking to make more casseroles and bakes that feed our large crew and are easy to throw together. I’ve already made this one pot spicy pesto bake rigatoni twice in the last week. To switch things up a bit, I wanted to give the classic ham and cheese sandwich a fresh new update.
Which brings me to this cheesy bake that’s great for everything from breakfast to dinner. It’s rich, indulgent, and perfect for feeding friends and family.
With nine plus people in my family, I rely heavily on my Pyrex Deep baking dishes throughout the holidays. I love the added depth these dishes provide. I can conveniently layer food in them and easily feed the family…and friends. The new Pyrex Deep are the deepest glass baking dishes out there. They hold up to 50% more than any current glass bakeware. Obviously, they’re perfect for things like pasta bakes and lasagna. But I also love using them for pretty layered dips and desserts.
You can find Pyrex Deep baking dishes at Walmart and Pyrexhome.com.
Here is how to make this ham and cheese croissant bake.
The process is pretty simple. Toast some store-bought croissants in the oven to add a little crispness to them.
While that’s happening, make the mustard cream sauce, which is a simple mix of mustard, cream, eggs, and herbs. When the croissants are toasted, toss them in the sauce along with caramelized mushrooms, prosciutto (or deli ham), and cheese. Layer the croissant and cream in the Pyrex Deep, then bake.
Simple right? Yes, and SO GOOD.
But hold on, there’s more…
The two ingredients you need most…
Creamy Brie cheese and just a touch of everything bagel spice.
First, the brie. It’s not traditional in a ham and cheese sandwich, but I also have Brie in my fridge this time of year and love using it in my recipes to make them feel just a bit more special. Of course, you can really use any cheese you love. But we’ve found the Brie to really take this simple bake from good to incredibly delicious.
Second, everything bagel spice. No, you don’t NEED this, BUT it adds so much. You can mix up your spice blend or pick up some from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or order via Amazon.
This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time for holiday guests. We love enjoying this for breakfast, but it’s also great as a dinner too. Either way, it will be loved by everyone.
I mean, it’s pretty hard not to enjoy buttery croissants, cheese, and ham all baked together. It has the perfect marriage of French flavors. If you don’t already have your Black Friday brunch recipe lined up, add this to the menu. Chances are you’ll have all the ingredients in the kitchen anyway. This dish is also a great way to use up anything leftover from Thanksgiving Day…just throw it in!
If you make this ham and cheese croissant bake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1189 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 12 cups (about 12-16 croissants) roughly torn, day-old croissants
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 rounded tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, using more or less to our taste
- 3 ounces deli ham or prosciutto, torn
- 4 ounces creamy Brie cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup shredded Swiss or fontina cheese
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel spice (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex Deep baking dish.2. Arrange the torn croissants in the baking dish and lay 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced butter over the croissants. Transfer to the oven and bake 5-8 minutes, until the croissants are lightly toasted.3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden, stir and continue cooking until the mushrooms have caramelized, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, cook an additional minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.4. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, mustard, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the toasted croissants, mushrooms, ham, and Brie cheese, gently toss to combine. Pour the mixture back into the casserole dish. Top evenly with Swiss cheese and sprinkle with everything spice.5. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the croissants are golden on top. Serve warm.
Notes
To Make a Few Hours Ahead: This can be made assembled a few hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Allow the stuffing to come to room temperature before baking.
To Make a Few Days Ahead: complete the recipe through step 3. Toss the mushrooms and croissants together. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to assemble, remove from the fridge. Continue on with step 4, tossing the croissants + mushrooms with the egg mix, then assemble in baking dish. This can be done up to 4 hours ahead of time. Bake as directed.
This post was originally published on November 27, 2019
I’m so excited to make this today! Do you think it’s necessary to split the recipe into two pans since I don’t have a deep 9×13?
Hey Jenni! I think a normal 9×13 inch pan will still work great. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
The flavors were awesome but the bread was soggy. I think it’ll be great as leftovers. I used spinach instead of mushrooms and that was a good call. I used 12 croissants.
Hi Rolanda! I am glad you enjoyed this! Are there any questions I could help you with? xTieghan
Made this last night and it smells heavenly in and out of the oven. Definitely a make again! Great for dinner and/or breakfast. We’re already salivating this morning thinking about the leftovers!
Wow that is so great! Thank you for trying this Annette! xTieghan
Your recipes are always so homely and wonderful! I’d love to know how you stay in shape eating all these rich foods haha.
Thank you so much Asher! It is all about balance! xTieghan
Made this with leftover spiral
Ham and croissants from thanksgiving. It was amazing!
Thank you so much Bianca! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
really great
Thank you Ken! xTieghan
This recipe looks yum – looking forward to trying!
Thanx for making options to have measurements in metric, makes it a lot easier for those who read in metric!
I am so glad you like this and I hope it turns out amazing for you Harriet! xTieghan
Was there originally kale in this recipe? (See make ahead directions) I’m deathly allergic to mushrooms and was going to ask if kale or spinach could be used in its place, but I think I may have found my answer! Do the mushrooms provide flavor for this recipe or bulk for fullness? I’m hoping flavor so I can use something else!
Hey Keri! So sorry, that was a typo. You can certainly use kale or spinach in place of the mushrooms. That is delicious!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing. Unfortunately my new son in law hates mushrooms, any suggestions for a replacement?
Hey Ann! You can simply omit the mushrooms and use 2cups roughly chopped spinach. That will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
Like this one a lot. Perfect for this weekend.
Thank you Joyce! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This looks absolutely AMAZING!!!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Arpita! xTieghan
I just made your french toast croissant dish again for a potluck at work this week to RAVE reviews. Was just wondering about a savory version and you clearly read my mind! I don’t have company in the morning around Thanksgiving but this looks like a GREAT Christmas morning dish!
Also, agree with the other poster that there are some issues with the “Make a few days ahead” instructions. You might want to take another look at it. For one, you don’t mention kale anywhere else in the recipe 🙂
Hi Alix! That is so amazing to hear how well this turned out for you! Thank you so much! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xTieghan
This looks great! Please make this on your stories this week!
I will try! I am so glad you like this Ashley!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
This sounds wonderful but I got a bit confused by the recipe notes – not sure if they were mixed up with another recipe or some ingredients were missing. In either case, thank you! This sounds so good! Can’t wait to try it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! Thank you so much Pat! xTieghan
this looks so so so good, I’d eat this for sure!!
I am so glad you like this! Thank you Ruth! xTieghan