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Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole

Breakfast dreams do come true…in the form of this Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole. Flaky, buttery croissants soaked in flavorful egg mixture, combined with cheese and ham. Baked to perfection and served warm.

It is a Croissant Breakfast Bake recipe that satisfies and feed a dozen! With Easter coming up, this is your ticket to an easy and delicious Easter brunch!

Top down view of a rectangular Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole

Introducing Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole

My ideal way to start the day is to sit in a cafe on a sunny and cool morning having croissants with fresh fruit preserve and a cup of hot coffee. The coffee shop music is playing in the background. I have a book in my hand, and not a care in the world.

I have a deep love for croissants. It is not just a food item. It is an experience.

Croissants are so versatile you can enjoy them in some many ways. I like to top them with tuna salad, ham, cheese, or just eating them plain. Every now and then, I spread Nutella onto them and turn them into the best dessert ever. No words can properly describe how amazing that taste.

When I started pondering about Easter brunch this year, I decided that I wanted to make a casserole dish that has croissants in it. It’s my thing lately. I just want croissants everywhere.

Nonetheless, I wanted to make something that includes the goodness that is croissants, can feed a ton of people, is fairly easy to put together, and of course…super delicious.

So here we go. Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake.

It may not completely replace my dreamy coffee-shop experience but nonetheless, I am deeply in love.

Rectangular dish filled with cheese, ham, croissant and baked eggs

Ingredients for this Croissant Breakfast Bake

One of the best part about this recipe is that it calls for simple, pantry-friendly ingredients!

  • Croissant – diced into small pieces
  • Ham – also diced into small pieces. Great way to use up leftover ham! For a ham recipe, check out Pineapple Baked Ham.
  • Shredded cheese – I use cheddar and mozzarella but feel free to use whatever you have at hand. It’s a great way to use up leftover cheeses sitting in your refrigerator. Swiss and Colby jack works especially well in this too.
  • Eggs
  • Milk – I use 2% but any milk above 2% would work. Avoid fat free because you want your casserole to be creamy and rich.
  • Garlic powder
  • Ground mustard – this is one ingredient you can skip if you really don’t have it or can’t find it.
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Parsley – for garnish, and also optional! Other garnish option include green onions or your favorite dried herbs (oregano, thyme etc)
Croissants, diced ham and cheese
Cubed croissant pieces

How to make Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole?

Not only does this require easy-to-find, minimal ingredients, it takes only 10 minutes to prep and the oven takes care of the rest. Simple is truly an understatement.

I sometimes still marvel at how simple a dish can yield such big, delicious flavors.

I blame it entirely on the croissant. That buttery, flaky pastry truly makes this dish what it is.

I use about 5-6 large croissants for this recipe. Cut them up into 1-2 inch cubes and add them to a greased rectangular 9×13 inch casserole dish.

On a separate bowl, whisk together 7 large eggs, milk, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper. Then add mixture to casserole, and top with cubed ham, shredded cheddar and shredded mozzarella cheese.

If there are leftover ham in your fridge, this dish is beyond perfect to use up those leftovers!

Unbaked Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole
Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole before being baked in the oven

Bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes at 350℉, then uncover casserole and bake for another 20 minutes.

I have tried baking it uncovered and the cheese is a tad bit too brown and crusty for my liking. I wanted the cheese to be all ooey-gooey and you know, cheesy (duh), and it just doesn’t come out that way if you don’t cover the casserole for the first 20 minutes of baking.

When it is done, remove and garnish with chopped parsley!

And that’s it! It’s EATING TIME.

Highly recommend savoring the cheesy, buttery croissant goodness slowly and with much pleasure.

Top down view of Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake

Tip and Tricks

Told ya it was super straight forward!

While it is all simple, note the few things below and you are all set for this Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake goodness:

  • Use dry old croissants as they will soak up more of the egg mixture. I typically leave the croissants out to dry for a day or so before cutting them up.
  • I would avoid non-fat milk for this recipe. If you want to substitute 2% milk with whole milk, that is just fine!
  • Grease casserole before adding the ingredients! I have forgotten in the past to grease the casserole dish, and some croissants are oily enough to prevent sticking, but some does not, so to be on the safe side – grease away!
  • This recipe is super versatile so feel free to use up leftovers or add other ingredients to it! Bell peppers, spinach, bacon, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, or other leftover meat and veggies will work great with this. Just dump it all in there and bake!
Croissant bake in a rectangular casserole topped with cheese and ham

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I this make ahead?

Yes! You can prepare it ahead and refrigerate it for up to 1-2 days. When ready to eat, remove from refrigerator and heat in the oven covered under low heat (325℉) for 20 minutes or until it is heated through.

Can I heat this in the microwave?

Yes you can! If I’m heating one or two leftover slices, I usually heat it in the microwave and it tastes almost like fresh! It heats beautifully in the microwave and makes a good prep-ahead meal.

Can I prepare the casserole ahead of time and bake it when I am ready to serve?

Yes, you can prepare the casserole and refrigerate it covered for up to 24 hours before baking it. You may need to bake it slightly longer if the casserole if fresh from the fridge and colder.

Soft on the inside, slightly crunchy on top, lots of yummy flavors from the ham, cheese, croissants and spices…it is truly a delight!

Grab a slice, or two, or three (it is quite hard to stop at one, I must say…) and enjoy!

Picking up a square slice of breakfast casserole

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍

Other Yummy Breakfast Recipes

Lifting up a slice of croissant bake with ham and cheese on top

Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole

Yummy and easy breakfast or brunch recipe! Soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside, this casserole combines croissants, ham, spices with lots of cheesy goodness. Makes amazing leftovers as well!
4.73 from 79 votes
Print Pin
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 368kcal
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

  • 5-6 large croissants slightly dry
  • 1/2 lbs ham cubed
  • 7 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 cup shredded mozzerella
  • 1-2 tbsp parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Prep all ingredients: Cut croissants into ~1 inch cubes. Cube ham. Chop parsley.
  • Grease a 9 x 13 inch rectangular casserole dish. Add cubed croissants to dish.
  • In a large bowl, combine and whisk eggs, milk, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper.
  • Add egg mixture to casserole dish filled with croissants. When pouring, making sure to pour all over and onto as much of the croissants as possible. This is to make sure we get most of the croissants moist. 
  • Add ham, shredded cheddar and shredded mozzarella and spread them evenly.
  • Bake in the oven covered for 20 minutes. Uncover, and bake for another 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven. Garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

This post was originally published in March 2019 and updated on November 2021.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 224mg | Sodium: 835mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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4.73 from 79 votes (73 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




32 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Looks SO delicious MinShien!! I am excited to try this recipe!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thanks so much, Kathleen! We love it! Going to make it again for Easter 🙂 Let me know what you think when you try it!

  2. Hi! I’m so excited to try this. I wanted to know how you think substituting 2% milk with almond milk would be? Or some form of non-dairy recommendation. Thank you!!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I think that should be fine! Let me know how it goes! 🙂

  3. This looks so delicious! Saturday brunch coming up!
    Can this be frozen?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yes! When ready to eat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat casserole covered in the oven for best results!

  4. We were searching for a brunch recipe and this looks like it tis the one.

    Be well.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Please let me know what you think when you try it, Norma! 🙂

  5. Amanda Strickland says:

    5 stars
    I made this for a breakfast entre for a work party and everyone loved it and wanted the recipe.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Makes me so happy to hear that! Thanks for making and sharing the recipe!

  6. Can this be made/assembled the night before and cooked the next morning? Or would the croissants get too soggy?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I think that should be fine!

  7. Lauren Webb says:

    Hi. Recipe says to slice green onions but I don’t see it mentioned again?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Oops – that was my mistake. No green onions needed. I just corrected it. Thanks for pointing it out! Let me know how it goes when you make it! 🙂

  8. I’ve been making something similar to this for years. I also make muffins with this mix. I’m nor a fan of regularmilk in general, but I often use Ricotta in my mixture. works great.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thanks for sharing, Melissa! Ricotta sounds yummy in there!

  9. 5 stars
    Made this last week and it was so easy and even more delish! I used smoked sausage instead of ham and we all loved it! Makes so much!
    Thankyou!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      YUM! Smoked sausage sounds delicious in this! So glad you loved it!

  10. 5 stars
    This is amazing. Used prima della honey ham from Walmart deli and cubed it myself. Used 7 croissants, 1 cup white cheddar and 1 cup Gruyère cheese. Dried the croissants out all day. Recommend adding those to a bowl then mixing those with the egg mixture and letting it all get soaked before putting in greased 9×13 glass dish. My family couldn’t get enough. Said it’s a breakfast pizza. Reheat in air fryer. Amazing. Thanks.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Sounds so delicious! Thanks for sharing!

  11. 5 stars
    I accidentally bought everything croissants instead of regular ones but wow! An absolutely delicious substitute! Used Great easy meal

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thanks Ariel! Happy to hear it went so well!

  12. If I cut the recipe in half, how long should I bake it?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Hi Judy, if you are using the same size dish and cut the recipe in half, I would bake it for about 25-30 minutes. If you are using a square dish (9×9) or a smaller rectangular dish, I would cook it for the same time, or until it is no longer soggy in the middle. Hope that helps!

  13. Can this be made ahead?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yes!

  14. 5 stars
    Made it for my church group today and it was a hit! They all loved it!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yay! Happy to hear they loved it!

  15. Elizabeth Scurry says:

    Will raw crescent rolls cooked with the ingredients all together work just as good as pre cooked ones?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I would not use raw crescent rolls in this recipe. Bake those crescent rolls first and cubed them into small pieces, and then follow the recipe instruction to assemble and bake. If you want to use raw crescent rolls in breakfast casserole, use this recipe instead. Hope that helps!

  16. Do you think this recipe would work in a crock pot?? I have a work brunch coming up and we don’t have an oven to reheat once I take this to work.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I haven’t tried it before but I imagine it could work. The only downside about using a crockpot is that the tops would not be crispy and it will lack the crunchy texture. Let me know if you do make it in a crockpot and how it goes!