Mother’s Day is just around the corner and food is a big part of the day. Did you know that Mother’s Day is the single busiest day of the year for restaurants? Seems us moms do most of the cooking and Mother’s Day is a welcome day off from cooking for our families. What are you doing for your mom? I have some good news! For those of you that don’t cook all that often or feel out of sorts in the kitchen, this easy to make casserole is the perfect dish to serve your mom for Mother’s Day. Skip the craziness at the restaurants, save yourself a ton of money (you can afford a nicer gift for mom instead) and make this delectable casserole instead. The best part? You can assemble it the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven on Mother’s Day. That means more time to spend with your momma!
You might be asking…what the heck is a Croque Monsieur? It sure sounds fancy, doesn’t it? It’s basically a fancy French name for a ham & cheese sandwich. If you top it with a poached egg it’s called a Croque Madame. What makes it so darn tasty is the addition of Dijon mustard and Gruyère cheese. It gives the sandwich loads of flavor and a more sophisticated flavor profile than a typical grilled ham and cheese sandwich that you’re probably more familiar with; one made with ham and cheddar cheese. Today we are going to make a casserole that incorporates all the delectable flavors of a Croque Monsieur sandwich but in a casserole form making it the perfect dish for entertaining.
Start by greasing casserole dish with either butter or non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, salt & pepper. Set aside.
Slice a loaf of French bread into 1½ inch thick slices. I used a sweet French bread loaf from the bakery section of my favorite grocery store.
Spread Dijon mustard onto one side of each of the slices of French bread.
Place half the slices of bread in the prepared baking dish, mustard side facing up to cover the bottom of the pan.
Spoon half the egg mixture over the slices of bread. Saturate each slice with the egg mixture.
Add a layer of half the sliced green onions, all of the diced ham, and half the grated Gruyère and Mozzarella cheeses. The Gruyère gives the dish loads of flavor; the Mozzarella adds that melty, stretchy factor everyone loves. What’s not to love when it comes to melted cheese?
Top with remaining slices of French bread, mustard side facing down.
Pour remaining egg mixture over the slices of bread.
Make sure to saturate each slice of bread with the egg mixture.
Top with the remaining grated Gruyère and Mozzarella cheeses.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate overnight. Easy peasy…right?
In the morning, preheat the oven to 350℉.
Remove the casserole dish from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
Bake casserole, covered, for 40 minutes.
Remove foil and top with remaining green onions.
Bake casserole for another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly and light golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into it. This allows the eggy custard bread to set up. We don’t want any soggy bread or runny eggs!
You will be rewarded for your patience. Oh my gosh this casserole is so amazing! The smokiness from the ham, the sharp tang from the Gruyère cheese and Dijon mustard, paired with the creamy, eggy custard bread filling makes this a delectably rich, and savory meal. Serve it with a fresh green salad dressed in a light lemony vinaigrette dressing to round out the meal.
This rich savory casserole pairs beautifully with my favorite, easy to make Rockin’ Good Rocket Salad. The refreshingly light dressing is the perfect compliment to this rich and savory casserole. This is my all time favorite salad, and it comes together in just a few quick minutes. Toss it together after the casserole comes out of the oven.
You will have mom smiling from ear to ear with this easy to make, delicious meal. You can make it in advance, and just pop it in the oven when mom arrives. Toss the salad, open a nice bottle of wine or serve up some Mimosa’s for a truly lovely relaxing meal that mom will totally enjoy. Not only will she be impressed by your extraordinary culinary skills but you will avoid the expense, hassle, wait, and noise at all the busy, crowded restaurants. You know the staff will be slammed, the food will be less than stellar, and the crowds will make it hard to really relax and enjoy mom’s company. So I encourage you to make this easy meal for your mom. It will give you more quality time to spend with the most important lady in your life.
I’ll tell you a little secret…what all us mom’s really want for Mother’s Day; to spend time with our kids. Yes, we love the cards and flowers, but spending time with our kids is the best gift we can get for Mother’s Day. So be sure to love on your mom for Mother’s Day this year and let her know how much she means to you. That will make her happier than anything else.
Baked Croque Monsieur
Equipment
- 13 X 9 inch oven safe casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups half & half
- 7 large eggs
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 lb day old loaf French bread, sliced
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 16 oz ham, diced
- 6 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
- 6 oz Mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Grease casserole dish with butter or non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together half & half, eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Slice a loaf of French bread into 1½ inch thick slices.
- Spread Dijon mustard onto each of the slices of French bread.
- Place half the slices of bread in the prepared baking dish, mustard side facing up.
- Spoon half the egg mixture over the slices of bread.
- Add a layer of half the sliced green onions, all of the diced ham, and half the grated Gruyère and Mozzarella cheeses.
- Top with remaining slices of French bread, mustard side facing down.
- Spoon remaining egg mixture over the slices of bread, making sure to saturate each slice of bread.
- Top with the remaining grated Gruyère and Mozzarella cheeses.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Remove casserole dish from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature while oven preheats.
- Bake covered for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and top with remaining green onions.
- Bake casserole for another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly and light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into it.
Did You Make This?
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Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!