🔑 Quick Answer: Croque monsieur savory bread pudding is a make-ahead strata built from the French ham and cheese sandwich, with layers of crusty bread, Canadian bacon, Gruyère, and a Dijon custard. It soaks for 3 to 12 hours, bakes in 35 to 40 minutes, and serves 12, so it works for brunch or as a Thanksgiving stuffing alternative.
This croque monsieur savory bread pudding is the only thing I’d put up against a classic ham and cheese sandwich. It takes everything in the French croque monsieur, the ham, the Gruyère, and the crusty bread, and bakes it into a make-ahead casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Year after year, this is one of the most popular and well rated recipes on the site. And, seeing we have more than 600 recipes, well, that’s saying something.
This savory bread pudding recipe is a twist on the delicious classic French sandwich known as a Croque monsieur, but it’s turned into casserole form with a mix of smoky ham, gooey cheese, crusty French bread, and all things delicious.
This savory bread pudding recipe is as at home at a weekend brunch as a Mother’s Day celebration or even an unexpected take on stuffing for Thanksgiving. Translation: this is pretty much perfect for lazy days and long, relaxing brunches.
Why Trust Us
I’m Aida Mollenkamp. I trained in culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and lived in Paris, and every recipe is tested three to five times before it publishes.
This is one of the most popular recipes on Salt & Wind, with a 4.7-star rating from 65 readers. I created various strata and savory bread pudding for my Food Network show and during my time as a Food Editor at CHOW magazine. This one came about because I wanted a ham-and-cheese casserole that could go be as fitting at brunch as it is at the Thanksgiving buffet.
On the travel side, we’ve spent more than ten years planning food and wine trips across France so, though this is not a traditional French dish it has a lot of those flavors.
Best for: a holiday brunch for a crowd, or anyone who wants a make-ahead stuffing alternative for Thanksgiving.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what each ingredient adds to this savory bread pudding.
- Unsalted butter goes into the pan for the onions and coats the baking dish, and good butter gives the dish its French flavor.
- Yellow onion and garlic build the savory base, and you can cook them up to two days ahead.
- Fresh thyme is one of the most common herbs in French cooking, and it goes into the onions and on top as a garnish.
- Large eggs and half-and-half make the custard, which stands in for the béchamel sauce in the classic sandwich. Cream works in place of the half-and-half, and buttermilk works too if you want a tangier flavor.
- Dijon mustard and hot sauce are optional, but they’re the keys to a flavorful dish in our eyes.
- French bread is the base, and it needs to be stale or toasted so it soaks up the custard. Ciabatta, focaccia, or brioche work too.
- Gruyère cheese is the Alpine cheese that brings the nutty, creamy, melty layer.
- Canadian bacon stands in for the ham in a croque monsieur, and Black Forest ham works well if you can’t find it.
- Parmigiano Reggiano goes on top for the last part of the bake and adds salt and a golden crust.
How To Make This Recipe
This croque monsieur savory bread pudding comes together in five steps, and most of the time is hands-off while it soaks.
- Sauté The Onions: Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium heat, cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until it softens, then add the garlic for about 1 minute and stir in the thyme.
- Make The Custard: Whisk the 8 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half, mustard, hot sauce, and salt in a large bowl.
- Layer The Bread Pudding: Spread half of the bread in the dish and top it with 1 cup of the Gruyère and half of the onions and Canadian bacon. Repeat the layers, then pour the custard over the top.
- Soak It Overnight: Press the bread down into the custard, cover the dish, and set a plate and a 1-pound weight on top. Refrigerate it for 3 to 12 hours.
- Bake It: Let the dish sit out for at least 20 minutes while the oven heats to 325°F. Bake it for 20 minutes, sprinkle on the Parmesan, raise the oven to 375°F, and bake it for another 15 to 20 minutes, until it puffs and the edges pull away from the dish. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before you serve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Savory bread pudding, unlike its sweet counterpart, is a hearty dish made with stale bread soaked in a mixture of eggs and milk or cream, and typically includes cheese, vegetables, and sometimes meat.
The flavor profile leans towards umami and herbaceous notes, often incorporating ingredients like sautéed onions, mushrooms, spinach, and herbs like thyme or rosemary. It's served as a main dish or side, especially during brunch or as a comfort food meal.
Yes, savory bread pudding can be prepared in advance, making it convenient for meal planning. You can assemble the dish, cover it, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before baking. This allows the bread to fully absorb the liquid mixture, resulting in a more flavorful and cohesive dish.
When ready to serve, bake it according to the recipe instructions, adding a few extra minutes if it's coming straight from the refrigerator.
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Rewarm the whole dish in a 200°F oven for about 30 minutes, or cover single portions with foil and warm them at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Yes, and it's one of our favorite ways to serve it. Assemble it the night before, then bake it at 325°F for 20 minutes and at 375°F for another 15 to 20 minutes while the turkey rests.
What To Serve With Savory Bread Pudding
This savory bread pudding recipe has a lot going for it so you don’t want to overwhelm it. If it’s part of a Thanksgiving spread, add some savory sides like:
- Citrus Walnut Quinoa Salad With Feta
- French Mashed Potatoes (Pommes Purée)
- Pomegranate Persimmon Wild Rice Salad
If it’s standing in for stuffing at Thanksgiving, serve it with our Pear Gravy And Herb Roast Turkey Breast and Crispy Brussels Sprouts.
What Wine To Serve With Croque Monsieur Bread Pudding
Pour a dry Riesling from Alsace, because its high acidity cuts through the Gruyère and custard while its touch of fruit stands up to the salty ham. For brunch, a Crémant d’Alsace does the same job with bubbles.
Croque Monsieur Savory Bread Pudding Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter plus extra for coating pan
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves plus one teaspoon for garnish
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 pound loaf French bread stale or toasted, cut into 1-inch dice
- 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (about 4.5 ounces)
- 1 pound Canadian Bacon cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
Instructions
- Sauté The Onions: Coat a 2-quart (about 11-by-7-inch) baking dish with butter and set aside. Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add butter. When it foams, add onion, season with salt, stir, and cook until just softened about 3 to 4 minutes.Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to soften and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in thyme. TIP: Onions can be cooked up to two days ahead. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Make The Bread Pudding Custard: Whisk eggs, half-and-half, mustard, hot sauce, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Arrange half of the bread at the bottom of the prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the Gruyère and half each onion mix and ham.Repeat layering with remaining bread, onion mixture, ham, and Gruyère cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top.
- Push to ensure bread is submerged in egg custard, cover with plastic wrap, put a plate and a 1-pound weight on top (a large can of tomatoes or rice in a re-sealable plastic bag works well) place in refrigerator for 3 to 12 hours.TIP: Make bread pudding through this step up to the night before your dinner and then cook it in the morning.
- Bake The Bread Pudding: When ready to bake, heat the oven to 325°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Let strata sit at room temperature while the oven heats, for at least 20 minutes.Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle parmesan over the strata and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until puffed and the edges pull away slightly. Remove from oven and sprinkle over remaining thyme.Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with hot sauce on the side.TIP: Bread pudding can be baked up to three days ahead of time then stored covered in the refrigerator. Rewarm it in a low oven (about 200°F) until warmed through, about 30 minutes.
6 thoughts on “Croque Monsieur Savory Bread Pudding”
I made this “casserole” for diner and paired it with greens that where forage here in Italy. It was delicious! I would make it on Saturday to have this ready for Sunday morning before our big walk. Thank you so much/Grazie
So glad you liked it, Sylvie!
Do you think croissants can be used?
They can be used; however, the end result will be mushier than when made as stated in the recipe so just be aware of that. FYI, our favorite way to use croissants is in this upside down banana tart: https://saltandwind.com/croissant-banana-tarte-tatin-recipe/
Could you replace half and half with buttermilk?
Sure thing though it will result in a tangier flavor. My first choice for replacing half and half would be cream.
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