Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
French Croque Monsieur Breakfast Bake
法式火腿芝士多士早餐焗盤
Recipe overview
Ham-and-cheese bread soaks in a savoury egg custard and bakes to a crisp golden top for breakfast or brunch.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 8 slice Thick white sandwich bread
- 8 slice cooked ham slices
- 180 g Gruyere cheese
- 5 piece egg
- 400 ml milk
Seasoning
- 20 g butter
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- baking dish
- oven
- oven mitts
- mixing bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Preheat oven and grease dish
Heat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes and use all 20 g butter to grease the base and sides of the baking dish.
Step 2
Trim and cut bread
Trim the hard crusts from all 8 bread slices and cut each slice diagonally into 2 equal triangles so they fit the dish without thick overlaps.
Step 3
Spread the mustard
Spread all 2 tbsp mustard in a thin even layer over one side of every bread triangle, reaching close to the edges.
Step 4
Layer bread and ham
Stand the bread triangles mustard-side inward in the dish, placing all 8 ham slices evenly between them with no empty section.
Step 5
Add the cheese layer
Distribute all 180 g cheese evenly between and over the bread, keeping a light layer on top rather than one thick mound.
Step 6
Whisk the egg custard
Whisk 5 eggs with 400 ml milk, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth and no streaks of egg white remain.
Step 7
Pour custard over bread
Pour the custard slowly over every row of bread, pausing to let it run to the base; no dry bread corner should remain.
Step 8
Press and soak
Press the bread gently below the custard, cover and soak for 10 minutes; it is ready when the exposed edges feel damp but still hold shape.
Step 9
Bake covered
Cover the dish tightly and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until the custard is mostly set but the centre still has a slight wobble.
Step 10
Uncover and brown
Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more until the cheese is deep golden and the bread tips are crisp without black edges.
Step 11
Check the centre is set
Insert a knife into the centre: it should come out with moist crumbs but no liquid egg, and the centre should spring back lightly.
Step 12
Rest, slice and serve
Rest the bake for 5 minutes away from the oven, then cut into 4 portions with a serrated knife and lift each piece without crushing the layers.
Common mistakes
- Overlapping the bread too thickly leaves dry pockets that the custard cannot reach.
- Skipping the soak leaves dry bread above loose custard at the bottom of the dish.
- Judging only by the cheese colour can leave liquid egg in the centre.
Tips
Use a broad, shallow baking dish that holds only one or two bread layers; the centre custard sets more reliably than in a deep dish.
The assembled bake may be covered and chilled overnight; uncover it while the oven heats so condensation does not wet the top.
