Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole
This Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole is packed with flavor, and it makes for a unique and delicious meal any time of the day!
This Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
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My mother is the ultimate entertainer. Even with little to no advance warning, she always seems to be able to pull off a memorable event. Be it a cocktail party with friends or a small family gathering, she’s got it covered!
One of the keys to entertaining is having go-to recipes that can be made in a pinch. You know, the kind of recipe that you just know by heart. But these can’t just be any recipes – they need to have a certain je ne sais quoi. They should be unique recipes that have people begging for more.
As a kid, one of these recipes was my mother’s ham and cheese biscuits. She made mini biscuits and piled them on two-tiered serving trays. In fact, my mother hosted a brunch at her house the day after Laura and I got married, and these biscuits were there. I remember them…probably because I ate about 13 of ’em! (Hey, they were mini!)
Aside from the delicious ham and cheese filling, these biscuits included a unique butter. Softened butter mixed with diced onions, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. I guess you might call that a compound butter? Whatever you call it, that butter took those biscuits from good to great!
Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole
Recently, I had a craving for those mini ham and cheese biscuits. (It’s probably because we are heading into the holiday season, and these biscuits always made an appearance at holiday cocktail parties.) However, instead of making the biscuits the same way my mom did, I decided to turn them into a casserole. This Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole was a huge hit here in our house!
To make this casserole, you start with making a bunch of mini ham and cheese croissants. Those croissants go into a baking dish and then an egg + milk mixture is poured on top. From there, the whole thing gets baked until the egg mixture sets. You end up with an incredibly flavorful casserole that will certainly leave folks wanting the recipe!
There are several key elements to this dish. First off, you want fresh croissants. Even though an egg mixture gets poured on top, you don’t want day-old croissants here. Another key? Good cheese. I used a combination of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
The Monterey Jack is creamy and melty, and the Seriously Sharp brings in the sharpness that comes from a good aged cheddar cheese. Add in the Dijon mustard, and you’ve got a mouth-watering combination of flavors! Trust me, my mouth is watering just sitting here thinking about the leftovers that are waiting for me in the fridge right now.
As noted above, I used two types of Cabot cheese in this recipe. Cabot Creamery Co-operative is a creamery owned by farm families throughout New York and New England. Their cheeses continually win awards, and it’s easy to see why…they’re delicious! After all, Cabot has been making cheese since 1919, so they have a bit of experience in this realm.
We truly love all of Cabot’s cheeses, and I make sure to keep a variety in our fridge at all times. Monterey Jack is great for when you need a good melting cheese. Seriously Sharp, Extra Sharp and Vermont Sharp are all good bets when you want to bring that punch of flavor that comes with sharp cheddars. However, I must admit that those various Cabot cheeses don’t always make it into recipes around here. A good bit of it turns into one of my favorite snacks…cheese + crackers! Check out Cabot’s product finder to see which Cabot products are available near you.
If you’re looking for a tasty and unique recipe, then put this Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole on the list. I could see this being served at a holiday brunch, but we enjoyed it as dinner. No matter the time of day, I hope this recipe earns a spot in your list of go-to entertaining recipes! I’m sending this recipe to my mom to add to her collection now. Cheers!
Did you make this Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCheese) on Instagram – we’d love to see your version!
Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup diced white onions
- ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 12 mini-croissants split in half
- ¾ pound thinly-sliced smoked ham
- 4 oz. Cabot Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 4 oz. Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- ¾ cup half-and-half
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ Tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 Tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the softened butter, Dijon mustard, onions and Worcestershire sauce. Spread this mixture evenly on cut sides of the croissants.
- Lay the bottom halves of the croissants on a large cutting board. Divide the ham and cheese evenly between croissants and place top on each.
- Spray or grease a large casserole dish. Arrange the croissants in a single layer in prepared dish. (Note: I like to use a large cast iron pan for this recipe!)
- Using a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, half-and-half, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pour mixture evenly over croissants. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top of croissants. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until egg mixture is set.
- Before serving, garnish top with chopped chives.
Looking for more deliciously cheesy recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cheesy Baked Burritos
Will be making this soon can i use vegan butter / mushrooms / coconut aminos / vegan cheeses / almond milk and coconut cream i never had ham and cheese croissant casserole before i missed your savory recipe perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hey Ramya! I’m not sure what would happen if you make all of the substitutions – I’m afraid the egg mixture might not set properly. However, you could totally use that flavor profile and invent something yummy!
Wow!!! I think you just took the best of two dishes and made one spectacular dish! This is perfect for serving to guests. I think these would make a great brunch or dinner!
Oh, this is a fantastic meal to serve guests, Kathy! It’s packed with flavor and it’s rather unique. The only problem is you’re going to want leftovers, and there probably won’t be any! 🙂
This sounds delicious, David! I have to admit, I’ll be the biscuit version is also delicious. But with the croissants, it’s like a casserole version of a croque monsieur or something. Ooo la la!
You make a really good point about the casserole version of a croque monsieur…ooo, I should try that spin next time! Either way, this is a great recipe, and it got thumbs up all around here in our house.
Looks to be a true crowd-pleaser and a dish I’d enjoy at any time of the day. I can see myself sitting at a table enjoying your Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole at a holiday brunch. I also see a Mimosa going very well with the dish…
You make an excellent point about the mimosa here, Ron – I do agree with you. But then again, a mimosa goes well with almost every dish! 🙂 (Or if you’re Laura, she always prefers her mimosas sans orange juice. Haha.)
I love savoury bread pudding / casserole probably even more than sweet ones, and this is definitely right up my road. Loaded with Smoked ham and cheese, that’s must be so delicious!
I never thought about it, but this is kinda like a savory bread pudding. I kept the mini croissants whole, but if you chopped them up, it’s essentially bread pudding. Either way, it’s essentially delicious! 🙂
This is totally up my alley! I’d make this for Christmas breakfast/brunch! Looks so good, and my kids love ham and cheese croissants 🙂 Yum!
If your kids love ham and cheese croissants, then you’ve got to try this casserole version, Michelle! It’s delicious! 🙂
this sounds very hearty david. delicious on a cold night i bet. might have to wait till winter here! we are heading into a hot wet summer!
Haha – you’re right, Sherry. I think you might want to put this recipe on the back burner for about, oh, 6 months. 🙂 Stay cool down there!
This looks really yummy! And croissants are perfect for this dish.
Thanks so much, Mimi! I agree – the buttery, flaky croissants are quite tasty in this recipe! 🙂
Ohhh what a great recipe. Now I have an idea on where to use non fresh croissants.
That’s a good point, Raymund! I do recommend using fresh croissants here, but even non-fresh ones would still be good!