Start your day off right with a savory and satisfying breakfast! Our Ham and Cheese Dutch baby is a fluffy, oven-baked pancake that’s loaded with salty ham and melted gruyere.

This dutch baby is a delicious twist on a classic croque madame sandwich, but much easier to put together. It’s sure to please your taste buds and take your brunch to the next level!

Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby

If you’ve ever had a croque madame sandwich–ham and gruyere layered between pieces of bread and topped with bechamel sauce and a fried egg on top–you know how delightful it is. When I was last in Paris, I had a croque madame that was so perfect, it blew me away.

I’ve taken those iconic flavors and ingredients and transformed them into this ham and cheese dutch baby. This is a much simpler recipe and works great for feeding a crowd!

My ham and cheese dutch baby features a crispy and savory chive pancake topped with crispy ham, cheese, bechamel, and a couple of fried eggs. I cannot think of a more glorious brunch recipe!

While you may find some sweet dutch baby recipes, like my dutch baby with cranberry compote, the savory version is just as good, if not better.

If you’re looking for the perfect mother’s day recipe to impress and delight, you’re in the right place!

What is a Dutch Baby?

A Dutch Baby, also known as a German pancake, is a cross between classic pancakes, crepes, and a Yorkshire pudding.

For those new to the concept of a Dutch baby, it’s a pancake that is baked in a single sizzling-hot skillet that has been prepared with a tablespoon or two of butter.

The sides of the pancake rise high above edges of the pan, creating a light, puffy crust with a tender, eggy middle. It’s not overly sweet and can be topped in a variety of ways. While they’re often sweet, you can make savory dutch baby pancakes, topped with cheese, eggs, and bacon.

How to Make a Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby

Investing in a cast iron skillet is important for this ham and cheese dutch baby! Cast iron distributes heat evenly and if you take care of it, lasts several lifetimes. My cast iron skillets are total workhorses in my kitchen.

TOOLS NEEDED

• 11″ Cast Iron Skillet
• Blender
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Mixing Bowls

INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Milk. Whole milk is a must here.
• Eggs. Room temperature eggs make the mixture smooth.
• Flour. All-purpose flour is best.
• Dijon mustard. A bit of mustard makes the pancake extra savory.
• Minced chives. Fresh chives are best here, but you can use dried if that’s all you have.
• Ham. Head to the deli counter and spring for thinly sliced French ham.
• Gruyere. Melting a bit of gruyere cheese all over the dutch baby is so, so good.
• Grated nutmeg. While nutmeg sounds like it should be in sweet treat, a bit of grated nutmeg in the pancake and the bechamel adds to the savory notes.
• Whole grain mustard. You could use dijon here, but I love the texture that the whole grain mustard gives to the bechamel.
• Butter. Salted butter is the way to go here!

The Process

1. Preheat the skillet. Drop 2 tablespoons of butter into your skillet and transfer it to the oven for 5 minutes to preheat. Keep an eye on the skillet so that the butter doesn’t burn.
2. Make the batter. Combine the milk, eggs, flour, dijon, salt, and nutmeg in a blender. Blend until smooth, then add the chives, and blend for another 10 seconds.
3. Bake. Pour the batter into the preheated skillet and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.
4. Make the bechamel. While the dutch baby bakes, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and cook while whisking constantly for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the milk while whisking and bring to a gentle simmer. Once thickened, stir in the whole grain mustard, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Melt the cheese. After 20 minutes, remove the dutch baby from the oven and top with the gruyere. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
6. Fry the ham and eggs. In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the ham slices and cook for 1-2 minutes, until browned. Remove the ham from the pan and fry the eggs to your desired doneness.
7. Assemble. Remove the dutch baby from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Top with the bechamel, ham, and fried eggs before serving.

Tips for Making a Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby

Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients blend more easily and give you a smooth and silky batter. Cold ingredients won’t rise as well.

Use a blender or immersion blender. The key to a perfect dutch baby lies in a very smooth batter. Making everything in a blender just makes everything so much easier. You can use a bowl and whisk, but make sure that there are no lumps. Unlike a traditional pancake batter, this will be much thinner and closer to crepe batter.

Preheat the skillet. Pouring the batter into a hot skillet gives you a perfectly puffy dutch baby. Melt the butter in the hot skillet, but don’t let it burn.

Use a cast iron skillet. There are some people that say it’s not necessary, and in truth, it’s not. But it does yield best results. Cast iron heats evenly and holds its temperature making it an ideal tool for cooking and baking.

Serving Tips

Once you remove the dutch baby from the oven, it will deflate a little. That’s okay! It’s still beautiful and impressive.

I like to remove the pancake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before topping it with the ham, eggs, and bechamel. Then, I set it on the table on a trivet and let everyone dive in!

You could also top this ham and cheese dutch baby with a bit of arugula for color. Serve with extra bechamel on the side, as well as some extra mustard and hot sauce!

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A ham and cheese dutch baby is the perfect brunch recipe! Next time you’re entertaining, give it a try. If you do give them a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Brunch Recipes to Try Now

Croissant Breakfast Casserole
Migas Breakfast Tacos
Skillet Huevos Rancheros
Bacon Leek Frittata

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