Today’s recipe was inspired by all the croissants we devoured on our trip to Paris two summers ago. Dustin was addicted to the chocolate croissants, the almond were my favorite, and for a slightly healthier breakfast or lunch we’d pick up a hot ham and cheese croissant sandwich. While I’m not about to make my own croissant dough or almond paste, the ham and cheese version is simple to make at home!

This time around (because there have been many times- though we save these for special occasions!) I bought mini croissants at Whole Foods. I like to make a spread of mayonnaise and stoneground mustard (with a few fresh snipped chives if I have them) to spread on one half of the croissant and then layer the ham and cheese before baking them until melty in the middle and crisp on top. That’s it! A little bite of France in your own kitchen.

Baked Ham and Cheese Croissants

INGREDIENTS

croissants, sliced in half
deli ham, thinly sliced (black forest ham is our favorite)
Muenster cheese, thinly sliced (or Havarti, Cheddar, Swiss, etc.)
mayonnaise
stoneground mustard, to taste
fresh chives, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise, a squeeze of stoneground mustard, and a few chopped fresh chives. Spread a bit of the mayonnaise mixture on the bottom side of each croissant. Top with a slice of cheese, some deli ham, and another slice of cheese, and the top of the croissant. Place prepared croissants on a baking sheet.
3. Cover the croissants with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and they are warmed throughout, removing the foil for the last few minutes to crisp the tops. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.