Croissant Breakfast Casserole
This delicious Croissant Breakfast Casserole contains bakery croissants, eggs, ham, fresh herbs, and a delicious blend of cheeses. It's quick and easy to put together, freezer-friendly so you can prep ahead, and is perfect for holidays and family gatherings.
Ingredients
- butter (to grease the pan; sub: cooking spray)
- 6-8 large croissants (cut into 1-inch cubes; approximately 8-9 cups or about 13.5-15.5 ounces per batch)
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 8 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped; sub: 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives (minced; sub: 1 teaspoon dried chives)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (divided)
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups diced ham (approximately 10-12 ounces; see Ingredient Notes)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan with butter or cooking spray and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast Croissants: Spread the cubed croissants on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden and crispy. (Tip: Use this time to shred the cheese, mince the herbs, and then move on to Step 3.) Set aside to cool.
- Egg Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, parsley, chives, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Layer: Layer the cooled, toasted croissants, diced ham, and half of each cheese in the prepared pan. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients in the pan. Sprinkle the pan with the remaining cheese.
- Bake: Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes (metal pan) or 50-60 minutes (glass pan), or until the center is set, the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan, and the top is golden. (Note: Tent with foil if the top becomes too brown before the casserole is done.)
- Serve: Serve warm, garnished with extra parsley or chives, if desired.
Freezer Instructions
Freeze for Later: Skip Step 1. Follow Steps 2-6, tightly wrap the casserole in plastic wrap or foil, and freeze.
Prepare from Frozen: Thaw completely. Bake as instructed in Step 5.
Notes/Tips
-
- Freezing Leftovers: You can freeze slices of the leftovers and heated them up (thawed overnight) at 375°F for 15 minutes. They were wonderful frozen and reheated in one of our tests!
- Croissants: We found in our tests that each store-bought croissant you’ll find might be a different size or weight. The important thing is to get the amount close, which is why we gave you so many details to consider. "Large croissants" is relative to the brand, so I'd err on the side of buying a few extras. The casserole will be fine as long as you’re close to our amounts.
- Shredded Cheeses: You may or may not be able to find pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. I just bought an 8 ounce block of each kind and grated it myself. I used about 3.5 ounces of each block and snacked on the rest.
- Pan: We tested this in a metal pan. A glass pan will take 10-15 minutes longer to bake completely.
- Ham: You can buy pre-diced ham, dice a ham steak, or use chopped deli ham. Substitutes for ham: chopped bacon, chopped turkey bacon, cooked breakfast sausage, diced Canadian bacon.
- Optional add-ins: Thinly sliced green onions, sautéed onions, shallots, or peppers, spinach, sauteed mushrooms, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. We tried to keep this recipe pretty simple, but I think 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard in the egg mixture could add some complexity and balance out the sweetness of the croissants, if you want to try it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 344 kcal (17%) | Carbohydrates: 18 g (6%) | Protein: 16 g (32%) | Fat: 23 g (35%) | Cholesterol: 193 mg (64%) | Sodium: 650 mg (28%) | Fiber: 1 g (4%) | Sugar: 6 g (7%)
If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe!