Whenever I visit France, I make sure I have a croque monsieur - a yummy toasted cheese and ham sandwich! Recreate those flavours in a delicious brunch bake - it's like a sort of french toast bake and perfect for any time of day.
Make 4 ham and cheese sandwiches with the bread, ham and cheese. Cut each in half diagonally so that you have 8 sandwich halves.
Whisk the eggs together with the milk, mustard and a good grinding of salt and pepper in a jug. Add the chopped onion and garlic.
Dip each sandwich half in the egg and milk mixture, then arrange in a medium-sized square-ish baking dish in two rows, with the two rows overlapping a little (the sandwiches should be standing up with the pointy part facing upwards).
Pour the rest of the egg mixture over the sandwiches, then top with grated cheese and the tomatoes. Leave to stand for at least 10 minutes so that the egg mixture can soak into the bread.
Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the top of the bake is golden and crisp. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve (with a fresh salad if you like!).
Notes
You’ll notice that the amounts in the ingredients list are not exact. That’s because exact amounts don’t really matter – apart from the amount of eggs and milk. This is a very customisable recipe!It can also be made up a few hours ahead (or even the night before). Just assemble, then cover with foil and keep in the fridge until you're ready to bake.Some ideas for customising: 1 Add cooked sausage and/or bacon along with the tomatoes for a more hearty bake. 2 Use spring onions/scallions instead of the ordinary chopped onion for a subtler flavour. 3 Spread pesto on the bread along with the ham and cheese. 4 Use prosciutto instead of ordinary ham.