Spring has sprung and it’s time to celebrate the season with an April in Paris-inspired dish.   This brunch bake combines the ingredients of the croque monsieur, a popular French sandwich, with eggs and croissants to create a decadently rich, make-ahead breakfast casserole. 

The name croque monsieur is derived from the French words croque, which means crunch and monsieur, which means gentleman. It’s a typical dish that is found on café menus throughout Paris.

In this casserole version, flaky croissants are layered with thinly sliced ham, Gruyère cheese, a tangy Dijon béchamel sauce, which are all melded together with eggs. Serve Croque Monsieur Brunch Bake with seasonal berries. 6 servings.

Béchamel Sauce
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Casserole
9 mini croissants
9 thin slices ham
9 thin slices Gruyère or Swiss cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish

Begin by making the béchamel. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until well combined, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously until mixture is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and whisk in the mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350 F. Coat an 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Slice croissants in half. Lay one piece of cheese and one piece of ham over one half of each croissant. Add a generous scoop of sauce on the other halves, reserving ½ cup to top casserole with before baking. Put the 2 halves back together. Arrange them in the baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour mixture evenly over the stuffed croissants, pressing croissants down gently to help them absorb the egg mixture. Spoon another teaspoon of the bechamel over each croissant.

Refrigerate casserole for 1 hour or overnight. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the tops of  the croissants are golden brown. Allow casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.