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Close up photo of a spatula lifting a serving of ham and cheese strata from the casserole dish.

Ham and Cheese Strata (Croque Monsieur Casserole)

This breakfast Ham and Cheese Strata (Croque Monsieur) is prepared in advance, refrigerated overnight to allow the liquid to absorb into the bread then baked the following day.  It is perfect for a holiday brunch or lazy day breakfast.
5 from 17 votes
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 10 hours
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 612kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 1-¼ pounds of bread about 7 cups
  • 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 10 whole eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove grated or minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese 12 oz.
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 pound cooked ham cut into small cubes
  • ¼ teaspoon smoky paprika
  • Chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 225°F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with oil-spray and reserve.
  • Tear the bread into bite size chunks and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer.  Transfer to the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  (Note: This step is to remove the moisture from fresh bread. If your bread is stale, skip this step). When the bread has dried out, transfer to a work surface and allow to cool.
  • Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time, blending with the cream cheese.  Add the Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, salt pepper, cayenne and the nutmeg beating until smooth.
  • Reduce the machine speed to low and slowly add the cream and milk, mixing for 1 minute until well combined. 
  • In a large bowl, combine the shredded cheese and the thyme leaves. 

To Assemble the Strata: 

  • Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Add ½ of the bread chunks, ½ of the ham cubes and ⅓ of the cheese mixture. 
  • Pour ½ of the egg mixture over the ingredients and press down lightly with a spatula. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients pressing down lightly with the spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining ⅓ of the cheese then dust the surface with paprika.
  • Coat a large piece of aluminum foil with non-stick oil spray and cover the casserole dish. Transfer to the refrigerator overnight.  

To Bake the Strata:

  • Heat the oven to 350°F and transfer the casserole dish to the center of the oven. Bake covered for 50 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the center is set and a food thermometer reads 160°F in the center.  
  • Transfer from the oven, let rest 10 minutes and garnish with chives or parsley before serving.

Notes

  • Stale bread is best for this recipe as it will absorb the custard easily.  If the bread is fresh with excess moisture it should be dried out in the oven before using. 
  • Choose a firm, rustic bread such as Pugliese or Italian sourdough. 
  • Remove the crusts from the bread for better absorption.
  • Another option to measuring the bread chunks is to pile enough bread chunks into your baking dish to fill the dish ¾ full.  Then remove the bread until ready to assemble the recipe.
  • Pressing the ingredients down with a spatula will help saturate the bread with the custard.  
  • Do not forget to coat the foil with non-stick oil to keep it from baking/sticking to the top of the casserole.  
  • Use a reliable food thermometer to check for doneness. 
  • If the breakfast strata tests 'done' and you want a deeper brown on top, switch the oven heat to 'broil' and watch it closely until the color is achieved.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 331mg | Sodium: 1176mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g