MAKE-AHEAD HOLIDAY
Get Christmas morning cooking out of the way, so you can enjoy the day!
Just three days ‘til Christmas and you haven’t an idea of what to eat by the tree in the morning? How about a simple ham and cheese casserole inspired by a French bistro classic? Anthony’s Croque Monsieur Casserole can be assembled the day before, and popped in the oven when the kiddos wake up. And perhaps you’ll want a lil hooch in your cup while they’re opening presents? Elizabeth’s NOLA-Style Milk Punch is first on our Christmas lists!
**Want to give a gift to someone special AND your two weekly-newsletter-writing pals at the same time? Give a free What’s 4 Dinner? subscription to your friends! Hit the button below to bestow the gift of weekly cooking inspo!**
CROQUE MONSIEUR CASSEROLE
AU: If you’re looking to cross something off your Christmas To-Do List, consider Christmas Morning Breakfast checked twice! This Croque Monsieur Casserole is so easy to throw together, and pays off in spades once baked.
Like most dishes with a French accent, it’s a lot of dairy. And bread. And cheese. But liiiiike… isn’t that what makes it so good? It’s Christmas. Live a little. I, on the other hand, “live a little” quite often due to a certain amazing French bistro in my neighborhood. Petit Trois Le Valley serves up some of the best French fare in Los Angeles and it’s consistently delicious. Chef/owner Ludo Lefebvre is about as French as they come; a handsome fella with an accent as thick as bordelaise. I’m actually shocked he hasn’t done an Emily in Paris cameo yet, but you can watch him on Selena + Chef on HBO Max.
EK: I love Ludo! And I agree, he is the perfect “French chef” to visit Emily in Paris, but he’s in LA instead. You are lucky that you have an authentic taste of France in your neighborhood. I have the beach, and I have fresh day-boat shrimp, but I don’t have authentic French food in my neighborhood!
AU: One of mine and my husband’s favorite things is to go to Petit Trois, sit at the Chef’s Counter, order a nice bottle of wine, and watch the talented team crank out perfect omelettes, divine steak frites drenched in au poivre (a cognac-black-pepper sauce), and French onion soup under a dripping, broiled blanket of Gruyère cheese. All the hits.
AU: My favorite thing to order (if it’s brunch), is the Croque Monsieur. Or its wife, the Croque Madame (just add an egg on top). It’s essentially a ham-and-cheese sandwich that’s draped in a velvety Mornay sauce. Mornay is a bechamel sauce with fistfuls of cheese added to it. What could be bad about that?!
But who wants to make Mornay sauce at home?! Not me. So I’ve given the French bistro classic the casserole treatment® with a simple mixture of eggs, milk, and cheese. The result is every bit as cheesy, custardy, and creamy as the stand alone sandwich–but made for a crowd!
EK: Anthony this is genius! I am with you, I don’t want to make a Mornay sauce either. Now I don’t have to wait to go to Paris to get my Croque Monsieur fix!
AU: This is the perfect dish to assemble the day before, and bake the next morning for breakfast, brunch or a delightful dinner paired with a crisp green salad. If you’re feeling the holiday spirit, it would also be the perfect thing to drop by your neighbor’s house as a gift. They can just pop it in the oven when they’re ready to eat, and you become THE most thoughtful neighbor on the block.
AU: Don’t try to be cute here and use croissants or brioche. That is a recipe for ham and cheese mush. Use a sturdy, crusty bread that will stand up to overnight soaking. The amount of bread you’ll need depends on both the size and shape of your casserole dish and what type of bread you use. I wrote the recipe for a standard 9x13” dish, but you can half it for a smaller one.
AU: First you make some ham sandwiches. Any kind of ham works, so long as it’s thinly sliced. I find that rosemary ham adds a nice flavor to the dish (if you like rosemary). Just slather some butter on half of the bread slices, and plenty of Dijon mustard on the other half of slices. Layer in the ham and some of the Gruyère, then shingle the sandwiches into a buttered casserole dish.
You want to make sure that the pieces don’t stick up too far. When you add the custard in the next step, you want the majority of the sandwiches to be submerged, so that the bread can soak up all that goodness.
AU: Then whisk together four eggs and two egg yolks, along with milk and half-and-half (or cream), some black pepper, herbes de Provence, and a pinch of nutmeg. Slowly pour the custard mixture over the bread, so that everything gets soaked. Sprinkle the assembled dish with the remaining cup of Gruyère and a little grated parmesan.
AU: This is when you can either let the casserole sit at room temp for 30 minutes (to allow the bread to absorb the custard), or cover the dish with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight.
AU: When you wake up on Christmas morning, take the casserole out of the fridge and let it come to room temp while your oven preheats to 325ºF. Once your oven is ready, uncover the casserole and pop her into the oven for about 40-50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let it rest for 20 minutes before serving.
NOLA-STYLE MILK PUNCH
EK: I was in New Orleans when I first learned of milk punch. In fact, some say that it is a creation of the Brennan restaurant family. The Brennan’s are most famous for their iconic Garden district restaurant, Commander’s Palace. They mixed up brandy, or bourbon with whole milk, a sweetener—simple syrup or powdered sugar—and ground nutmeg and served the boozy milk at “grand breakfasts.” Some versions have been known to include a splash of heavy cream or even buttermilk, vanilla extract and sometimes orange and cinnamon. The NOLA version of Milk Punch may be credited to the Brennan’s, but a quick Google search attributes Milk Punch to a young British woman named Aphra Behn who created a clarified Milk Punch, which I have never had…
AU: I have, and it’s dangerously delicious! The first time I tasted it was at Eleven Madison Park with my husband and our friends, Lexy and Justin. Both of whom are cocktail aficionados. Of course, at EMP it’s an over-the-top presentation: they brought out this giant hour-glass-looking contraption, poured the non-clarified liquid in the top, and you watched as it was strained through a cheesecloth and dripped—crystal clear—into a decanter for you to enjoy with freshly grated nutmeg. A magical ending to a wonderful dining experience!
EK: I sipped my first NOLA Milk Punch at the equally iconic, but different, Galatoire’s. Friday Lunch at Galatoire’s is a special tradition (especially with the locals) and the restaurant never took reservations until after the pandemic. You either had to be a long-standing regular or stand in a long line!
Every Friday, the dining room is packed with people ready to celebrate and no one has any intention of going back to work. All the regulars have their favorites. Mine are Milk Punch, Oysters en Brochette, and Trout Meunière.
Today, Milk Punch is gaining in popularity as it is easy to make and customize. It’s basically eggnog without the eggs and is much thinner in texture and easier to drink.
I should mention that it is the perfect day-drink, and will pair seamlessly with Anthony’s brilliant Croque Monsieur Casserole!! With a breakfast like this, Santa will want to stick around ‘til Christmas morning!
I like to make a small batch in a pint mason jar, and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve, which makes it the perfect Make-Ahead Cocktail. The recipe follows the 3-2-1 rule, so it is easy to remember: Three parts milk, 2 parts booze—typically bourbon or Cognac or brandy—and 1 part sweetener. Add a generous sprinkle of ground nutmeg on top, preferably with a nutmeg grinder, and cheers!
After that, you can embellish with anything you like. My recipe makes about six drinks, if you serve them in a 7-ounce whiskey glass over crushed ice. If you are serving it in a larger glass, you will need more per glass. But the 3,2,1 ratio makes it easy to batch the drink for 6 or 60!
EK: The cocktail also lends itself to playing around. It’s like a blank canvas in that you can add your favorite liqueurs to the base to change up the flavor. In this Christmas version, I used Disaronno Velvet Cream Liqueur as my sweetener. The name is a little obtuse, but the liqueur inside is a delicious Amaretto cream. It is smooth and creamy—obvs—with a light almond flavor. I like to add a liqueur instead of sugar or simple syrup, so I can add more dimension and not just sweetness to my milk punch.
I also like my milk punch to have a “punch” so I add a little extra bourbon after I make it. You serve it over a full glass of crushed ice so it does get quite a bit of dilution.
These Chai Crinkle Cookies are creamy and buttery with a chewy center and crisp edges, and the light Chai spices are the perfect partner for my Christmas Milk Punch.
Thank you so much for subscribing to What’s 4 Dinner?. Being a little bright spot in your week, and having our recipes grace your table, from family celebrations to busy weeknight meals, truly fills us with joy. Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and the Happiest of Holidays!
- Elizabeth & Anthony -
Another hit! I love it dipped in even more mustard. And I can’t wait to try the milk punch!
Croque monsieur casserole - Yum! I had a Monte Cristo strata much like this, so I know it’s good.