Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole

If you happen to have some croissants around at your house, definitely give this delicious, tender breakfast casserole a try soon! We have had so many versions of breakfast casseroles and baked oatmeals lately at my house; they are WONDERFUL ways to use up odd leftovers, and have something new and cozy and quick on hand for everyone. They reheat well too - so we can enjoy them for at least a couple days. My son tends to eat breakfast earlier than everyone else, so it's nice to have something he can warm up and still have a real breakfast when he's ready to eat in the mornings. 

I loved everything about this tasty dish - it's so tender in the middle, those bits of crisped cheese and ham on top add wonderful texture and flavor. It's just good, hearty, stick to your ribs food! I used ham lunch meat since that's what I had on hand, you can use whatever ham you might have in your refrigerator. Same with the cheese - this is a mild base, so you can absolutely use pretty much whatever cheese you have on hand.

Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole

Ingredients
8-oz chopped ham lunch meat
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 large croissants, cubed
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle the chopped croissants in the bottom of the baking dish, and sprinkle the chopped ham and mozzarella cheese over the cubes, nestling both down into the nooks and crannies as best you can.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, salt, and pepper until evenly combined and pour mixture over the top of the croissants. Gently press down on the croissants to ensure all are soaking up the liquid.
4. Allow casserole to sit about 10-15 minutes to absorb liquid, then sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Cheese should be golden brown and casserole should be baked through (a little wiggle in the center as fine, as long as the egg is cooked through).
5. Cool about 10 minutes, then slice and serve!

Recipe adapted from Add A Pinch