Name: Croque Monsieur Strata Bake (Gluten Free!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: ~8 slices of bread, cubed; 1 1/2 cups milk; 20g cornflour/cornstarch, optional but recommended for a thicker, creamier sauce.; 6 eggs; 2 tsp dijon mustard; 1 cup grated gruyere cheese; 1 cup grated cheddar cheese; 200g ham, sliced

Easy Gluten Free Croque Monsieur Strata Recipe

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Have you ever eaten a Croque Monsieur?

Gooey, melted cheesy. A creamy bechamel sauce. The zing of dijon mustard.

It is seriously delicious.... but if you're making it at home, it's also a bit of a mess. You've got one pot for the bechamel, grated cheese flying everywhere, another pan heating up to toast the sandwiches - way too many dishes to wash when you have a kitchen with no dishwasher (as we currently do!).

So I decided I needed to come up with an easier version... and this Croque Monsieur Strata was born.

It has all of the flavour of a Croque Monsieur, with so much less mess - what's not to love?

Let me share it with you! >>

Easy Gluten Free Croque Monsieur Strata Recipe on White Dish with Baking Dish in Background

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

Whether you're a Croque Monsieur lover, or you've never heard of them until today, I promise this recipe will be a winner. It's creamy and full of flavour and the perfect make ahead meal to freeze and reheat later.

We've been loving it for a quick, filling lunch when we're busy doing things around the house - or now that we're both back at work.

Simply heat it up and dig in!

To make this recipe, you'll need:

Bread - we used gluten free bread, but you can use any bread you like (wholemeal, brioche, white bread, french bread - you name it!)
Sliced ham
2 types of cheese (we used gruyere and cheddar)
Dijon mustard
Eggs
Milk
Cornflour/cornstarch - this is optional and only if you want a thicker, creamier sauce

Croque Monsieur Strata Bake (Gluten Free!)

Servings: serves 8-10

Author: Southern In Law

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Inspired by the iconic French sandwich, this Croque Monsieur Strata Bake has all the flavour of the original without any of the mess. Quick, simple, easy and so delicious, this recipe can be made gluten free or made with any bread you have at home (french bread, brioche, whole wheat bread etc) and is a great breakfast, brunch or lunch!

Ingredients

~8 slices of bread, cubed
1 1/2 cups milk
20g cornflour/cornstarch, optional but recommended for a thicker, creamier sauce.
6 eggs
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
200g ham, sliced

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180C/355F.
Grease a baking dish (I used a 10x13" ceramic dish - you can also line with baking paper if you want less mess) and set aside.
If using cornflour, add a splash of milk to form a paste and then mix in the rest of your milk and the eggs and dijon mustard. If not using cornflour, mix milk, eggs and mustard.
Add 3/4 of your cheese and 3/4 of your ham to your milk mix along with your bread cubes. Mix until combined.
Pour your mix into your baking dish and top with your remaining ham and cheese.
Bake for ~1 hour or until set and golden on top.
If your top is browning too quickly but the strata isn't set, add a piece of foil on top and continue baking until cooked through.
Serve immediately or allow to cool before slicing and freezing or storing in the fridge to reheat later.