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Croque Madame Brioche Bites

Rated 4.1 out of 5
(7)
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A cross between bread pudding and muffins, these cute little bites enriched with ham and Gruyère cheese are inspired by the classic French sandwich, the croque madame. They make a fun addition to a brunch and a great accompaniment to soups and salads for lunch or dinner. You want the brioche to be dry enough to fully absorb the liquid, so, if possible, tear your brioche into pieces and leave them, spread on a baking sheet, at room temperature overnight before making the dish. If your brioche is fresh, bake the pieces in the oven at 375°F (190°C) until very lightly toasted, about 10 minutes, then let cool before proceeding with the recipe as directed.

Looking for more culinary inspiration? Check out our Inspired by France page with tools and recipes to help you bring a taste of France to your home kitchen.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 12 thin slices ham, patted dry
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) half-and-half
  • 2 cups (8 oz./250 g) grated Gruyère cheese
  • 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 12 oz. (375 g) brioche, torn into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces (about 6 heaping cups), dried out or lightly toasted
  • Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Lightly coat 12 standard muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Line each prepared muffin cup with a slice of ham, folding and tucking it as needed to fit and leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) sticking out above the rim of the cup. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, cheese, mustard, 2 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. pepper. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the brioche. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Divide the brioche mixture evenly among the ham-lined muffin cups. Bake until the tops are deeply golden and crusty, 15 to 18 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Top the brioche bites with a few grindings of pepper, garnish with chives and serve immediately. Makes 12.  

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen

Rated 4 out of 5 by from Definitely adjust the salt - otherwise OUTRAGEOUS! First - I think this recipe has a typo because 1/4t of salt was plenty. Do NOT use 4t of salt!! Second - I swapped challah for the brioche since I had an extra loaf. Next - I swapped prosciutto for the ham since I had that in the fridge. Decadent and savory, while being super easy!! Absolutely make this dish!! This would’ve been 5 ⭐️ but had to dock for the salt typo.
Date published: 2023-12-31
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Should've read the comments... Great recipe but... It was too salty! I will halve the salt next time. Otherwise, very good. Looking forward to making it again.
Date published: 2023-01-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Absolutely Perfect! I followed the recommendations of previous reviewers and reduced the salt. I also put them into giant muffin tins so they cooked a little longer but they were absolutely delicious with a side salad.
Date published: 2022-04-25
Rated 3 out of 5 by from DON'T USE THAT MUCH SALT Super yummy recipe and a huge crowd pleaser but please do not follow the salt instructions. Use 1 tsp of salt because the cheese and ham are already salty! the instructions MUST be a typo. top with chives for some freshness!
Date published: 2022-02-12
Rated 3 out of 5 by from WAY TOO MUCH SALT!!!! The recipe is great except the error in the amount of salt. Mine turned out to be salt bombs. I will give these another try and only use maybe a tsp or less of salt. There is already salt from the ham and cheese. Hopefully they will update the recipe so more people don’t follow it and ruin these gorgeous ingredients.
Date published: 2022-01-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Excellent Brunch Addition This is an extremely easy and decadent recipe. I read the prior review and took into account the salt in the Gruyère and the ham - used a heaping tsp of kosher salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper and season was perfect.
Date published: 2022-01-01
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Very, Very Good This recipe is wonderful, with one caveat. I believe the salt quantity to be a mistake, 4 teaspoons seems to be a LOT of salt for this. I used 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and it feels like it was borderline too much.
Date published: 2021-11-27
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