Julie Clark
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Hot Ham and Swiss Croissants (Make Ahead, Melty Every Time)
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Five ingredients in these hot ham and swiss croissants. The foil wrap keeps them from drying out, and don’t skip the honey mustard sauce.
An Easy Hot Sandwich Recipe
Hot ham and cheese croissants are baked sandwiches made with store-bought croissants, deli ham, Swiss cheese, and a 3-ingredient honey mustard sauce, each wrapped in foil and baked at 350ºF for 20 to 25 minutes.
The foil is the secret. It steams the sandwich so the cheese melts completely without the croissant drying out or burning.
I learned these from a family we were friends with years ago who served them at every single party, and I understood why the first time I made them myself. I can assemble them in the morning when I actually have energy, stash them in the fridge still wrapped, and bake them right before dinner. If your family loves warm sandwiches like our pizza sliders and breakfast sliders, these belong in the same rotation.
Can I make hot ham and cheese croissants ahead of time?
Yes, and this is the best reason to make them. Assemble the sandwiches, wrap each one in foil, and refrigerate them up to 24 hours before baking. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes.
Because each sandwich is individually wrapped, they travel beautifully: keep them warm in the oven on the warm setting, or stack the foil packets in a slow cooker on low for potlucks and tailgates, the same trick I use for pulled pork sliders. If you have leftover holiday ham from a slow cooker ham, this is one of the best ways to use it.
Ingredients in Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
- Croissants. Our grocery stores have two sizes of croissants. Either work, but I tested this recipe with a larger size of croissant. A smaller size will bake more quickly. Want homemade bread? Try homemade croissants or our homemade crescent rolls.
- Sliced ham. Thinner sliced ham heats through more quickly than thick ham. But if you have leftover Christmas ham, don’t be afraid to use that! Black forest ham or Virginia ham works well.
- Sliced cheese. Swiss goes well with ham. Or try cheddar, provolone, pepper jack or gruyere cheese. Melty cheese is what you want here so just about any kind works.
- Dijon mustard, honey, brown sugar. These three ingredients combine to make a sweet honey mustard that you’ll brush on the inside of the croissants.
✨ See the recipe card for full amounts and ingredients. ✨
How to Make Hot Ham and Cheese Croissants
- Mix the mustard, honey and brown sugar together. Spread the honey-mustard mixture on each of the eight croissant halves.
- Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each croissant half. Top the bottom half of each croissant with however much ham you’d like.
- Place the two halves back together. Wrap the sandwiches each in their own piece of foil.
- Bake in a 350ºF preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted.
How do you store and reheat ham and cheese croissants?
Store leftover baked croissants in their foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, put the foil-wrapped sandwich back in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes. The foil keeps the croissant from drying out while the cheese remelts.
An air fryer at 325ºF takes 3 to 4 minutes and re-crisps the outside (unwrap it for this method).
The microwave works in about 30 seconds but softens the croissant, so save that for desperate lunches.
I don’t recommend freezing assembled sandwiches because croissants turn spongy after thawing.
Recipe Variations
- Use leftover hamburger buns or even dinner rolls for the hot ham and cheese croissants. Just don’t forget the honey mustard sauce. It makes the cheesy sandwich melt in your mouth!
- Switch out the slice of ham for sliced chicken or turkey.
- Make breakfast croissant sandwiches with prosciutto, bacon and a fried egg. Wrap and warm them for a breakfast on the go.
- Do you love the baked ham sliders with melted butter and poppy seeds? Brush that same mixture on top of this ham and cheese croissant recipe. Cover loosely and bake. Leave the foil open slightly so they can let steam escape while they bake.
What goes with hot ham and cheese croissants?
Serve the savory ham sandwiches alongside potato chips or fries, salad, potato soup for dipping and some fresh fruit salad and you’re set to go.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you make these, leave a star rating. It helps other readers find the recipe and it makes my day!
Hot Ham and Swiss Croissants with Honey Mustard Sauce
Five ingredients and store-bought croissants. The foil wrap keeps them from drying out, and the honey mustard sauce makes them melt in your mouth.
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 croissants split
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 1/2 pound thin sliced deli ham (or more for thicker sandwiches)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Mix the mustard, honey and brown sugar together. Spread the honey-mustard mixture on each of the eight croissant halves. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 4 croissants
- Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each croissant half. Top the bottom half of each croissant with however much ham you'd like. 8 slices Swiss cheese, ½ pound thin sliced deli ham
- Place the two halves back together. Wrap the sandwiches each in their own piece of foil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Make ahead: assemble and wrap up to 24 hours in advance. Bake from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 minutes.
⭐️ If you make these, leave a star rating. It helps other readers find the recipe and it makes my day!
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 4 sandwiches, with 1 serving being 1 sandwich. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 1132mg | Potassium: 282mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Calcium: 472mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to reheat a ham and cheese croissant?
Reheat it in a 350ºF oven, wrapped in foil, for 10 minutes. An air fryer at 325ºF takes 3 to 4 minutes. The microwave takes 30 seconds but softens the croissant.
What do you call a croissant with ham and cheese?
A baked ham and cheese croissant is an American baked sandwich. It is different from a French croque monsieur, which uses sliced bread and a béchamel sauce. Some bakeries call the croissant version a ham and Swiss croissant.
How many calories are in a hot ham and cheese croissant?
One sandwich made with a large croissant, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, and 2 ounces of deli ham has about 614 calories. Using a smaller croissant or less cheese lowers that.
How do I keep the croissants from burning?
Wrap each sandwich fully in foil before baking. The foil shields the delicate croissant from direct heat so the inside heats through before the outside browns too far. If you bake them unwrapped, tent foil loosely over the top.
These were simple yet amazing. My twins, almost 8, really enjoyed them. My son says this is a keeper recipe.