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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.
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 lovely 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. So you can serve this version as a light dinner with mixed greens, too.
What you’ll need to make a ham and cheese oven-puffed pancake
How to make a ham and cheese oven-puffed pancake
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.
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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 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1-1/4 cups whole milk (or substitute 1/4 cup heavy cream + 1 cup skim milk)
- 2/3 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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Reviews & Comments
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Delicious! Enjoyed with a beet and arugula salad. I couldn’t get Gruyere in our grocery store. I used a combination of Edam and raclette cheese. Loved how easy it was and quick to put together for a weeknight meal.
Enjoyed this for dinner with a salad! Both my husband and I loved the flavor and texture, and look forward to devouring the leftovers tomorrow! Thanks so much for this great recipe! (Good use of the remains of our Easter ham)!
Oh my, this is wonderful! I’ve been wanting to make this since I saw it in your weekly blog and now I finally have ham and a working oven. With a simple arugula salad it was the perfect weeknight supper. Love the flavor and texture!
Very good and looked just like your picture. The only problem I had was getting it out of my cast iron pan. Any suggestions?
Hi Tish, Glad you enjoyed it! If your cast iron sticks, it may not be “seasoned” properly. Here’s a link on how to season and care for it.
The kids loved it! I’m sold. Thank you!
Have made this many times and family loves it. Can it be made with buttermilk?
I’d recommend sticking with regular milk here (and glad you like it)!
Great recipe -I used pre-baked bacon instead of ham and served it
as a breakfast dish with Maple syrup! Delish!
Has anyone tried this with pepper jack cheese—any idea if that would work in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jenniffer, I haven’t tried it but it should be fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks, I made it today with pepper jack and it turned out wonderfully!
👍
Will King Arthur gluten free measure-for-measure flour work in this recipe?
Hi Jim, I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
Family verdict: definitely a keeper! My chives haven’t grown back yet after winter so instead I fried a bit of scallion in the butter first. Great recipe, yet again.