Fancy Breakfast Bake

Time :55 minutes
Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

The Fancy Breakfast Bake is a high-class casserole for all you early birds! It transforms one of French cuisine's most elegant sandwiches, the croque monsieur, into a sliceable sunny sensation! Each sandwich is loaded with succulent ham and smoky Gruyère cheese, and then dipped into a savory egg custard to mimic the classic handheld. Then it's all baked until golden, with juicy tomatoes on top for a burst of freshness! Pinkies up for the Fancy Breakfast Bake!
The Fancy Breakfast Bake is a high-class casserole for all you early birds! It transforms one of French cuisine's most elegant sandwiches, the croque monsieur, into a sliceable sunny sensation! Each sandwich is loaded with succulent ham and smoky Gruyère cheese, and then dipped into a savory egg custard to mimic the classic handheld. Then it's all baked until golden, with juicy tomatoes on top for a burst of freshness! Pinkies up for the Fancy Breakfast Bake!

Ingredients

  • 8 slices deli ham
  • 4 slices Gruyère cheese
  • 8 slices white bread
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • mozzarella cheese optional, to taste, shredded
  • 5 ounces cherry tomatoes halved, for topping
  • fresh parsley leaves optional, to taste, for topping

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Evenly layer the ham slices and the Gruyère slices on 4 slices of the bread. Using the remaining 4 slices of the bread, close the ham sandwiches.
  • Cut each of the ham sandwiches in half diagonally.
  • In a large bowl, add the eggs, the milk, the Dijon mustard, the salt, and the black pepper and whisk to combine.
  • Add the chopped onions and the garlic to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
  • Dip each of the sandwich halves into the egg mixture, ensuring to coat all sides completely.
  • In an 8-inch square baking dish, arrange the sandwich halves in two rows, with the flat, cut-side down and the corners facing up. The rows will overlap slightly.
  • Pour the remaining egg mixture over the sandwich halves.
  • Sprinkle the mozzarella over top of the sandwich halves.
  • Let the baking dish stand for 10 minutes.
  • Bake until the top is golden and crisp, about 40-50 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the bake with the tomato halves and the parsley and serve.
×