Ham & Cheese Oven-Puffed Pancake
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This ham and cheese oven-puffed pancake falls halfway between a crepe and a soufflé: crisp on the outside and comfortingly tender inside.
The inspiration for this ham and cheese oven-puffed pancake comes from my latest cookbook crush, Tasting Paris: 100 Recipes To Eat Like A Local by Clotilde Dusoulier. Clotilde is the voice behind the Paris-based cooking blog Chocolate & Zucchini, and also the author of several cookbooks. I spent a lot of time in Paris in my early twenties, both as a student and an au pair, so the recipes and photos in this book have me wistfully longing to go back in time. (Wouldn’t that be nice to do, just for a bit?)
In France, an oven-puffed pancake is called a pascade. Clotilde writes, “If ever a dish was more than the sum of its parts, this is it. The simple batter cooks up to an astonishing texture, halfway between a crepe and a soufflé, crisp on the outside and comfortingly tender inside. Think of it as the French cousin to the Dutch baby…[it’s] a natural fit for brunch, but I like it better in the early evening, served with sparkling wine.” I took Clotilde’s basic recipe and — keeping with the French theme — added a spoonful of Dijon, some chopped ham, grated Gruyere, and chives to make it a bit more substantial.
What you’ll need to make a ham and cheese oven-puffed pancake
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the eggs, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Whisk well to combine, then whisk in the flour.
Gradually add the milk, whisking until the batter is smooth.
Add the cheese and chives.
Mix well.
Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick ovenproof pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter around.
Sprinkle the ham evenly around the pan.
Pour the batter over the ham, then use a fork to be sure the ham is evenly distributed.
Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
It will appear puffed straight out of the oven, but will quickly collapse. Cut the pancake into thin wedges and serve.
You may also like
- Dutch Baby
- Quiche Lorraine
- Eggs Benedict
- Spinach Frittata
- Zucchini and Cheddar Frittata
- Crustless Broccoli Quiche
- Spinach and Cheese Strata
Ham & Cheese Oven-Puffed Pancake
This ham and cheese oven-puffed pancake falls halfway between a crepe and a soufflé: crisp on the outside and comfortingly tender inside.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1¼ cups whole milk (or substitute ¼ cup heavy cream + 1 cup skim milk)
- ⅔ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 slices (4 oz) thinly sliced ham, finely diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk, whisking until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cheese and chives.
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick ovenproof pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter around. Sprinkle the ham evenly around the pan. Pour the batter over the ham, then use a fork to be sure the ham is evenly distributed. Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes. It will appear puffed straight out of the oven, but will quickly collapse. Cut the pancake into thin wedges and serve. (Remember that the pan is hot; I usually place a dishtowel or oven mitt over the handle as a reminder.)
- The pancake is best served fresh out of the oven. However, leftover slices can be reheated in the microwave.
- Note: Unlike a Dutch baby where the edges of the pancake will remain puffy after coming out of the oven, this pancake should puff up a bit in the oven to about 1½ inches high all over, then settle to about ½ inch high as it cools.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 430
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Followed recipe and made it gluten free by using gluten free flour and added 1/2 tsp baking powder. I did not have a 10” cast iron pan and used my 12” and it worked fine. Delicious!
Hi Jenn,
My family LOVES this recipe. I’m hosting a brunch this weekend. Can it be made in a larger dish, 9×13? Would you just double the recipe for that size dish?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Gina, I do think it would work but I’d probably multiply by 1.5 (just use 5 eggs).
Made your pancake yesterday for lunch – deliciously gorgeous. Definitely be making it again. Thanks.
For a good crepe recipe try deliaonline.com
Here in the Uk we call her St Delia, she has helped a lot of us learn how to cook.
Really enjoy your web site as well Jenn and anxious to try this pancake, just made a Dutch Baby and it was delicious.
How wonderful that you mentioned Deliah Smith. I bought her “Complete Cookery Course” in 1982, I’m absolutely sure that’s why my now husband married me (38 years and counting) I have now lived in the USA for 38 years, but I still use my tattered cookbook and the online website. Wishing you and yours a healthy, and happy 2022! Fiona Stephan
Wow, thank you so much for this recipe! It was a last-minute decision on my part to try this for brunch and we all loved it. I subbed cheeses that I had on hand (mozza & gran padano) and left out the ham; it was still perfect! Served with a light salad and miscellaneous toppings on the side… our guests were visibly wowed.
This goes on the table much quicker than crepes, which have always been my go-to for impressing at brunch and, of course, has a fancier feel than serving a sheet pancake. Even the children loved it! This is going into rotation in our home. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jenn!
I have a 10.5-inch non-stick pan ovenproof pan, would that work? Would I need to make any adjustments?
Sure, that should work without any adjustments. Hope you enjoy!
I don’t have a 10 inch oven proof frying pan so I scaled recipe to 2/3rds and used a pyrex pie dish. I melted butter in microwave with 1 Tbs chopped shallots and then followed recipe. Wonderful.
Hi Jenn
I hope this note finds you and your family well and enjoying life more with fewer restrictions!
As you are my “go to” chef for recipes when I want to impress (always😜) I was surprised when I couldn’t find a basic (& fabulous) French crepe recipe? I know you spent a lot of time in France and naturally assumed yours would be fabulous:)
I had lunch at a quaint French bistro yesterday, enjoyed a shiitake, asparagus, chèvre crepe that was simply delicious. and I was hoping to replicate it at home.
Do you have or know of a tried and true great recipe for a crepe? If it’s tucked in one of your cook books which I don’t have, just let me know which one….happy to purchase it!
Thank you!
Anita
Hi Anita, So glad you like the recipes! As of now, I don’t have a proven recipe of my own for crepes – I’m sorry! I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. In the meantime, this one looks good and gets positive reviews. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself.) Thanks for the suggestion as I’m always looking for new inspiration!
We’ve made this numerous times as written and truly love it. At the moment, we have some fabulous bacon that arrived as a gift and I wonder if cooking the bacon and adding it in place of the ham would work, or not??
Sure, Merry, that will work!
Made this for brunch today and everyone LOVED it. So simple to prepare as well. Thanks for another winning recipe!