Croissant Breakfast Bundt
The perfect plus one at brunch.
I absolutely love this recipe because it can be tweaked so many different ways to create new flavour combinations. The original recipe that inspired me called for ham and cheddar, but I quickly swapped those ingredients for farmer’s sausage, breakfast sausage, and even bacon. Cheese is also chef’s choice, but a well-aged cheddar tends to be my favourite. And let’s not forget the greens — you’re definitely not limited to spinach. I also love using arugula, kale, or even mixing the greens together.
My one other recommendation is to slice pieces and give them a quick searing in a cast iron pan. It’s not a must, but toasting each slice enhances the flavours and gives a little bit of crunch guests love. It also makes for a fantastic brunch dish that can sit and be enjoyed in between mimosa refills. Leftovers also freeze to perfection and make for a wonderful breakfast on the go.—CFG
Ingredients:
12 large croissants, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2tbsp butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 oz. spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup cooked ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
2 packed cups grated cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Cut 12 large croissants into 1” pieces and spread onto a large baking sheet in a single layer. (You will need 2 extra sheets or 3 standard sized sheets.)
Bake the croissants on the middle rack for about 10min until they are dried out and light golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking and keep watch so they don’t burn.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Reduce the oven to 350ºF.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt 2tbsp of butter and add 1 large, diced onion. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, ~5 min.
Add 6-8oz of fresh spinach and cook until softened and bright green, ~1 min. Add in 1 cup of diced cooked ham and mix together until thoroughly incorporated.
Remove the mixture from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 8 extra large eggs, 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth and 3tbsp of grainy or smooth Dijon mustard.
Season the egg mixture with 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Fold in 2 cups of grated cheese and the ham mixture into the eggs.
Place the croissant pieces in a very large mixing bowl and pour the egg mixture over the croissant pieces. Use your hands to toss the mixture together until all ingredients are fully incorporated, making sure there are no dry croissant pieces.
Generously coat a nonstick 10-12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray and transfer the mixture to the prepared Bundt pan. Pack it in tightly by firmly pressing down on the mixture.
Bake until golden brown on top and no liquid is visible on the surface, ~35-40 min.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for ~5-10 min, then use a utensil that won’t scratch the pan to carefully loosen the Bundt from the pan.
Carefully invert the Bundt onto a serving platter or cutting board. (You can also invert the Bundt onto a baking sheet and broil until the top is crisp to your liking.)
Serve whole -OR- cut into slices and plate -OR- slice into thick pieces and toast pieces in a cast iron skillet to crisp individual slices then plate.
Serve and enjoy.
