Ham and cheese croissant bake

INGREDIENTS

10 large croissants

6 oz sliced ham

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 brown onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves

2 1/2 cups half and half

6 eggs

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

minced chives, for serving

hollandaise sauce, for serving (optional)

METHOD

Prep the croissants. Tear the croissants into large pieces and lay them on a baking sheet. Let them get stale overnight. Alternately, you can put the tray into a 250 F oven for 40 minutes.

Saute the onions. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet. Once the butter is hot and foamy, add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the chopped sage and thyme and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the onions are soft. Set aside.

Prep the baking pan. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with butter or nonstick spray.
Layer the casserole. Lay about half of the torn croissants into the baking pan. Top with half of the ham, shredded gruyere, and all the sautéed onions. Top with the rest of the croissants, ham, and cheese.

Make the custard. Whisk or blend together the half and half, eggs, dijon, whole grain mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper until very smooth and all the eggs are well-mixed. Pour the custard over the layered croissants, ham, and cheese and press the croissants into the mix. Let it soak for 30 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350 F.

Bake. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top of the croissant bake is golden brown and puffed. Check 30 minutes into cook time – if the croissants are browning too quickly, you can cover with aluminum foil. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then garnish with chives and enjoy immediately.

Recipe credit: So Much Food Blog