This is the year I get to celebrate my first Mother's Day ever. And you know what I want to do most of all? Sleep. Maybe I'll get crazy and sleep until, I don't know, 8:15 a.m.? And what do I want after all that sweet, sweet sleep I've been dreaming of? Brunch. Rich, cheesy, eggy brunch. In my pajamas. With my cuddly baby boy beside me.
I've been thinking about the ultimate dish for Mother's Day morning. Last year, I made some pretty pancakes, but this year I want something that is homey and hearty, yet says, "Mom, you fancy." Enter the Croque Madame casserole.
A Croque Monsieur is a classic French bistro sandwich with salty ham, melty Gruyère, and cheesy béchamel sauce (technically called a mornay). If you #putaneggonit (and why wouldn't you?), it becomes a Croque Madame, a sandwich fit for a queen (in this case, Queen Mom). These sandwiches are usually griddled individually in a pan like a grilled cheese, then smothered with sauce and broiled, and then topped with a fried egg that's cooked separately. I thought feeding a crowd could be so much easier if everything—the sandwiches, the sauce, and the eggs—was assembled and baked together in one happy dish.
To get the eggs to stay in place as they bake, I borrowed from the genius that is the egg-in-a-hole: I cut out a yolk-sized hole in the center of six slices of bread, which became my sandwich "tops." I layered Béchamel, six whole slices of bread, mustard, ham, more Béchamel, and cheese in my baking dish. I enclosed the sandwiches with the "tops," added even more Béchamel and cheese for good measure, and cracked eggs into each of the six holes.
Thirty minutes later, I had a hot, bubbling casserole with creamy sauce, molten cheese, and gently baked eggs. Definitely the perfect Mother's Day brunch for Mom, and made even better with a crisp green salad on the side. Now all she's gonna need is a nap.
Want more Mother's Day inspiration? Check out our gift guide of kitchen gifts your mom will actually use.
