Cooking Lesson #1171: Brunch French Croque Monsieur Casserole

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? The croque monsieur originated in France, first appearing on café menus around 1910 as a hot ham and cheese sandwich. Its name translates to "mister crunch," reflecting its crispy texture, and it became popular as a quick snack for busy Parisians.
 
My Brunch French Croque Monsieur Casserole originated in the Perspectives test kitchens for one of our restaurants. It is a little bit like a quiche but easier. It is made with sourdough English muffins—for that sourdough twang—ham and Swiss cheese, with a rich, broiled toasty cream sauce topping. While it was inspired by the original French croque monsieur, this recipe is all me. It is fantastic as a brunch dish that allows you to concentrate on your guests and not on your cooking.
 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Toast time: 12-14 minutes
Stand time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 45-50 minutes
Additional time: 35 minutes
Yield: 10 servings / 1 9 x 13-inch casserole
 
Ingredients 
For the casserole
6 sourdough English muffins, cut into cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 large eggs
1-1/4 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound deli sliced ham
3 cups grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided
 
For the sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 
1 tablespoon chopped chives (garnish)
 
Directions

1. Read the recipe all the way through before starting. Measure all ingredients and have at your side.
2. Preheat an oven to 375° F.

To make the casserole

1. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. Melt 6 tablespoons butter.
3. Place the English muffin cubes in a large bowl and top with melted butter and Dijon mustard. Toss until well coated and place spread out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and lightly toasted, 12 to 14 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl until well combined; set aside.
6. Place half of bread cubes in the prepared baking dish.
7. Fold half of the ham slices and tear into 1-1/2 inch pieces and lace the ham between bread cubes.
8. Top evenly with 2 cups of grated Swiss cheese.
9. Top with remaining the bread, ham and grated Swiss cheese.
10. Pour the egg mixture over casserole and press lightly to submerge most of the bread.
11. Let the filled casserole stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
12. Bake casserole until egg mixture is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
13. Cover with foil during the last 20 minutes of baking time if casserole is browning too quickly.

To make the sauce

1. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk in the milk until smooth.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir well.
6. Cook about 8 minutes on low, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat.
7. Remove the casserole from oven and turn on the oven’s broiler.
8. Pour the cream sauce over casserole and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
9. Place the casserole back in oven and broil until bubbly and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
10. Let the casserole stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
11. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

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ChefSecret:  You can make individual casseroles by dividing the contents of this recipe between 12 cavities in a medium size muffin pan.
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Quip of the Day:  Q. What do you call a croissant stuck in traffic?  A. A traffic jam-bon! (Jambon is French for ham)
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