This ham and cheese croissant bake is perfect for the breakfast or brunch table, but I also love it as breakfast-for-dinner! Buttery croissants are filled with ham and two types of cheddar cheese, then baked with eggs and spinach until puffed and golden. Ideal for using up leftover ham, this make-ahead friendly bake is just right for relaxed weekend breakfasts, holiday brunches, or an easy breakfast-for-dinner
Leftover ham from the holidays? This croissant breakfast bake is a perfect dish to use it up! Even without leftover ham, I’ve found half-hams from the grocery store to be an economical choice lately. They are all meat and can be used for a variety of dishes and sandwiches, such as my Ham Pot Pie, Creamy Ham and Pea Pasta, Croque Monsieur Sandwiches or my Easy Ham and Bean Soup.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Croissants – Ideally, start with the large, standard-sized croissants (rather than the “mini” ones). If you can find some on the day-old rack, all the better, as stale croissants will work best here. If you need to buy fresh ones, you can take them out of the package and let them sit on the counter for a bit to dry them out before using.
Ham – This dish is perfect for leftover holiday ham. If I don’t have leftover ham, I like to pick up a half ham to use as it is heartier, rather than deli-sliced ham, but deli ham is certainly an option.
Cheddar – I like to use two types of cheddar – a regular orange cheddar and a mature white cheddar, for extra flavour. You can use both or one or the other, as you like. If you happen to have a bit of Gruyere cheese lying around, you could certainly add a bit of that to the mix, as well.
Spinach – You can start with fresh spinach that you quickly wilt in the microwave or a skillet, or thawed frozen spinach. In both cases, be sure to squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it to the casserole.
How to make ham and cheese croissant bake
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
- Start by halving the croissants length-wise and then buttering each half.
- Top the bottom half of a croissant with sliced ham and shredded cheese.
- Place the top on the croissant and place it into a 10-inch-ish round baking pan.
- Repeat with the remaining croissants until the pan is filled. The croissants should be snug together, but able to sit flat in the pan.
- Wilt the spinach in the microwave (in a bowl covered with plastic wrap) or in a skillet.
- Allow the spinach to cool a bit, then squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach.
- Scatter the spinach between the filled croissants in the pan.
- Mix up the egg and milk mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture over the top of the croissants and into the baking dish. Allow to stand 15 minutes before baking. (You can cover tightly and refrigerate overnight before baking, if you like.)
Recipe tips!
- Using stale croissants will prevent the croissants from getting too mushy in the egg mixture. If your croissants are fresh, you can cut them ahead and leave them uncovered on the counter for a couple of hours or toss them onto a baking sheet and pop them briefly into a 250F oven to dry them a bit before using.
- Using a 10-inch-ish diameter round dish allows for the tops of the croissants to sit above the liquid level, which I think is nice for both presentation and to enjoy a bit of crispy texture in the dish. If you don’t have that size in a round dish, use any dish that allows the croissants to be snug together, but laying flat and you should achieve the same outcome.
- Check the bake after about 20 minutes of baking. If the croissants are sufficiently browned already, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top to prevent further browning while the egg finishes cooking. Give the dish a jiggle to make sure the egg is all set.
- Yes! You can assemble this dish the night before, cover and refrigerate and bake it the next morning.
Serving suggestions
I think a simple green salad is a natural side for this croissant bake. This simple feta and toasted almond salad is one of my favourites as it seems to go well with so many dishes. My simple Spring salad would also be perfect. For something different, these melting sweet potatoes would be a fun and delicious side or try these mustard oven-roasted sweet potatoes!
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Get the Recipe: Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake
Ingredients
- 6 large croissants, day-old or stale
- 3 Tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 slices ham, *see Note 1 below
- 3 oz orange cheddar cheese, shredded, about 3/4 cup *see Note 2 below
- 3 oz mature white cheddar, shredded, about 3/4 cup, plus a bit more for sprinkling
- 3 oz baby spinach, about 3 cups
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup milk, whole milk recommended
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
Instructions
- Halve the croissants lengthwise and butter the inside of each piece. Place the sliced ham on top of the bottom piece. Top with shredded cheese, then place the top of the croissant. Place the filled croissant into a buttered 10-inch-round baking dish (or a similar size that allows for the croissants to fit snugly together, but also to lay flat). Repeat with the remaining croissants until all 6 are arranged in the baking dish.
- Wilt the fresh spinach in a plastic wrap-covered bowl for 45-60 seconds (or you can wilt in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop with a splash of water.) Carefully remove the plastic wrap (watch for escaping steam) and allow the spinach to cool while you mix up the egg mixture.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, add the eggs, cream, milk, mustard, nutmeg and season with some salt and pepper. Whisk together well. Set aside.
- Returning to the wilted spinach, squeeze as much excess liquid from the spinach as you can, then scatter the spinach between the croissants in the pan.
- Pour the egg mixture over the top of the croissants and into the baking pan. Sprinkle the top of the croissants with a bit more white cheese, if you like. Let stand for 15 minutes before baking.
- Tip! You can cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight at this point if you like.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). If using, melt a bit of butter and drizzle over the top of the croissants before baking.
- Tip! Check on the casserole after about 20 minutes of baking. If the croissants are already browned enough, lay a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the dish for the last part of cooking, to prevent over-browning the croissants.
- Bake the casserole for 30-35 minutes, or until the egg base is set and cooked through.
- Tip! Jiggle the pan a bit in the oven to see if the egg is set. It is done when the egg no longer jiggles or looks loose.
Notes
More ham breakfast bakes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This is very very pretty!
Thanks Mimi :)