Have you ever had bread rolls or croissants left over from a breakfast (or brunch) that aren’t quite as nice and fresh the next day? No problem! You can turn stale croissants into a delicious Ham & Cheese Croissant Bake, for example. It’s quick and easy and really tasty!
Some of you may be familiar with this situation – you are planning a brunch or breakfast for your family and/or friends and then, for whatever reason, you end up with leftovers. Happens a lot, right? Sometimes because fewer people than expected turned up, not everyone was hungry enough… or sometimes you just did not plan well. As a host, you don’t want to end up empty-handed and may buy more stuff than needed… happens here sometimes. ;P
In the vast majority of cases, this is not a bad thing. Leftover cold cuts, cheese, etc. can (almost always) be used at a later date. For other leftovers from a breakfast or brunch, you may have to come up with a more creative solution. Bread, bread rolls, croissants, etc. are often not as fresh the next day and sometimes even quite dry – depending on the quality of the baked goods. Not every bakery bakes equally well, right? But as I said, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. ;P
Stale bread rolls or croissants can still be used for recipes. Even after several days in the bread bag or bread box, you can still create something delicious, if you want to. A classic recipe for stale bread rolls is, for example, a simple Kirschmichel with Vanilla Sauce. A sweet German dish made with stale bread that can be served for breakfast or as a dessert after dinner…
Same for stale and old brioche. That can end up in a simple Bread Pudding, for example. If you want to kick it up a notch, try a Banana & Walnut Bread Pudding! That one is loaded with bananas and nuts and so good! The perfect sweet treat to use up leftovers.
Even day-old Franzbrötchen (a German version of cinnamon rolls) can be turned into a delicious dessert like that – we call it Franzbrötchen Ofenschlupfer. So good with some apples added!
Well. Back to the savory croissant bake and away from the sweet stuff! Using leftover baked goods for savory bakes is always an option – as long as they are not sweet themselves. Means chocolate filled croissants would not work here. ;P I guess you were thinking about that already, right? Well… ;P
Anyway. This Ham & Cheese Croissant Bake is perfect for a breakfast or brunch. Simple ingredients, the preparation is quick and easy, and the result is extremely tasty. All in all, a great way to use up leftover croissants.
I mean… even though this recipe was created to use up leftovers – we actually almost never make it with leftover croissants. Normally, we buy the croissants specifically for this recipe and let them sit for a day or two, so they can dry out a bit. The croissants used for this recipe here have never been on a breakfast table – they came straight out of the paper bag from the bakery and ended up in the casserole dish. ;P But in general, this is a recipe for leftover croissants. Just so you know…
Anyway. Do with this information whatever you want. ;P We got much many more recipes for »leftover« bread, bread rolls, and other stuff. For example, another »Ofenschlupfer« aka. Brioche Apple Casserole made with leftover brioche (that one was actually really leftover). ;P
I case you got more croissants than you needed, you could also take a look at our easy Croissant French Toast. That one is a really easy and quick one you can whip up in record time. Add some whipped cream and berries on top, and you got yourself a wonderful and delicious breakfast!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4-5 servings)
some olive oil
4 croissants (they can be a day old)
4 medium eggs
3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream
1 tsp. Herbs de Provence
salt, pepper
3.5 oz. (100g) sliced ham
3.5-5.3 oz. (100-150g) grated cheese (e.g. Gouda)
(4-5 Personen)
etwas Olivenöl
4 Croissants (können vom Vortag sein)
4 Eier (M)
100g Sahne
1 TL Kräuter der Provence
Salz, Pfeffer
100g Kochschinken
100-150g geriebenen Käse (z.B. Gouda)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a baking dish (approx. 23cm) with some olive oil and set aside.
2. Cut the croissants into pieces. Mix eggs, heavy cream, Herbs de Provence, and some salt and pepper until well combined. Dip the croissant pieces in the mixture and let them in there briefly so they can soak up some of the liquid.
3. Place the croissant pieces in the baking dish, pour the remaining egg mixture on top and place the ham between the croissant pieces. Sprinkle with grated cheese, season with some extra salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil (optional) and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. The cheese should have melted and browned a bit here and there. Check if the egg mixture has set completely on the bottom of the baking dish – if not, bake the croissants a bit longer. Take the finished croissants out of the oven and place them on the table with a few plates and forks, and everyone can help themselves. ;)
Note: If the croissants are not that big, 3 eggs are also sufficient for the egg-cream mixture.
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine Auflaufform (ca. 23cm) mit etwas Olivenöl einfetten und zur Seite stellen.
2. Die Croissants in Stücke schneiden. Eier mit Sahne, Kräutern der Provence und etwas Salz und Pfeffer verrühren. Die Croissantstücke in die Ei-Sahne-Mischung tauchen und kurz darin liegen lassen, damit sie etwas von der Mischung aufsaugen können.
3. Die Croissantstücke in die Auflaufform geben, verbliebene Ei-Sahne-Mischung darüber gießen und dann den Schinken zwischen die Croissantstücken stecken. Mit geriebenem Käse bestreuen, noch einmal mit etwas Salz und Pfeffer bestreuen, nach Belieben auch mit etwas Olivenöl beträufeln und dann für etwa 20-25 Minuten im vorgeheizten Backofen überbacken. Der Käse sollte geschmolzen sein und darf etwas Farbe bekommen haben. Man sollte kurz checken, ob die Ei-Sahne-Mischung am Boden der Form komplett gestockt ist – sollte das nicht der Fall sein, einfach noch etwas länger im Ofen lassen. Den fertigen Auflauf aus dem Ofen holen und dann mit ein paar Tellern und Gabeln auf den Tisch stellen und jeder darf sich selbst bedienen. ;)
Hinweis: Wenn die Croissants nicht so groß sind, reichen auch 3 Eier für die Ei-Sahne-Mischung.
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Ham & Cheese Croissant Bake
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 00:35
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: International
Description
When hosting friends or family for breakfast or brunch, you want to serve only the best. This delicious Ham & Cheese Croissant Bake, for example. ;)
Ingredients
some olive oil
4 croissants (they can be a day old)
4 medium eggs
3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream
1 tsp. Herbs de Provence
salt, pepper
3.5 oz. (100g) sliced ham
3.5–5.3 oz. (100-150g) grated cheese (e.g. Gouda)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a baking dish (approx. 23cm) with some olive oil and set aside.
2. Cut the croissants into pieces. Mix eggs, heavy cream, Herbs de Provence, and some salt and pepper until well combined. Dip the croissant pieces in the mixture and let them in there briefly so they can soak up some of the liquid.
3. Place the croissant pieces in the baking dish, pour the remaining egg mixture on top and place the ham between the croissant pieces. Sprinkle with grated cheese, season with some extra salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil (optional) and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. The cheese should have melted and browned a bit here and there. Check if the egg mixture has set completely on the bottom of the baking dish – if not, bake the croissants a bit longer. Take the finished croissants out of the oven and place them on the table with a few plates and forks, and everyone can help themselves. ;)
Notes
If the croissants are not that big, 3 eggs are also sufficient for the egg-cream mixture.
Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links (advertising/Werbung) to Amazon Germany. If you click on one of those links and buy something via this link, I will get a commission for that sale. The price of whatever you buy is not affected in any way by this.
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
