This easy ham and cheese casserole is layered with buttery crescent rolls, savory ham, and melty cheese for a crowd-pleasing bake. Whether you serve it for breakfast, brunch or a simple weeknight dinner, this ham and cheese breakfast casserole comes together in minutes.
What to Grab at the Store
Think of this as the base for your own custom creation. It is hard to mess up, but easy to dress-up. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Crescent rolls– light, buttery and totally rich, two cans of refrigerated crescent dough make up the two bready layers. They now sell crescent dough sheets too, if you can find them, they are great!
- Honey ham– I prefer to use the slightly sweetened deli ham, but salami or great for a little kick and prosciutto is also fun, as is cooked bacon or any other deli meat. Try using a blend of meats too. A little less or a little more, you really can’t go wrong.
- Cheese- I used sliced cheese because that is what is leftover in my cheese drawer, but shredded works too. Colby and cheddar are my go-tos, but Muenster and mozzarella are close seconds. I set aside a little more for sprinkling on top.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Casserole (Step-by-Step)
Making it is easy, try to leave a little space between layers for even cooking, meaning don’t press it down.
- Prepare oven and baking dish. Prep the oven and a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Put layer of crescent dough first. Start with a layer of crescent dough, spreading it out to the edges.
- Layer ham and cheese and then ham and cheese (or whatever meat you are using). Reserve a small amount of cheese for topping, if desired.
- Top with crescent dough. Finish by spreading out the second can of crescent dough over the top.
- Bake until golden brown. Sprinkle any reserved cheese over the top- the residual heat should melt the cheese.
- Allow to rest and cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Tips for Best Ham and Cheese Casserole
I’ve tested this recipe in my test kitchen to bring you the best tips and tricks.
- Pre-baking prevents soggy crust – You can pre-bake the bottom crescent layer for a few minutes to prevent sogginess.
- Pat ham dry if it’s moist – Sometimes deli meat holds a lot of moisture; pat yours dry to prevent a soggy crust.
- Don’t overfill – More is not always better; you don’t want the crescent dough to spill over the edge when baking.
- Let it rest 5 minutes before slicing – Just like any casserole, letting it to rest before slicing allows it to “set up” for perfect slices.
Variations
There are plenty of ways for you to make this ham and cheese casserole your own; here are a few ideas.
- Veggies- Cooked veggies are wonderful in it. Think steamed or roasted broccoli or even potatoes. Lunch meat is a sinch. Cheese of almost any kind (not sure how I would feel about the blue variety) is fantastic. Throw in everything except the kitchen sink. You can use whatever you please.
- Cheeses- Literally use any cheese you can think of. Hard cheese, soft cheese, a blend of anything between- go for it!
- Meats- whether they are thinly sliced or cubed, throw it in!
- Bread- If you don’t want to use actual bread or pizza dough instead of crescent dough, go for it.
- Eggs- To make it more breakfast-y, try adding 6-8 whisked eggs before topping with the final layer of crescent dough.
Make it a Meal
Because I generally serve this casserole as a breakfast dish, I like to serve it with other breakfast favorites. A fresh smoothie, fruit salad or an orange crush cocktail are always good options.
I also like to serve with crispy home fries, a side of bacon or even homemade breakfast sausage. And you can’t forget the scrambled eggs.
More Easy Breakfast Ideas
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day- I’d tend to agree! Here are some of my favorite breakfast dishes.
Ham and Cheese Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
- 16 slices honey ham or your choice of deli meat
- 16 slices Colby jack cheese
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese , freshly shredded
- Cooking Spray
- chives , snipped, optional
- sour cream , optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Unroll 1 can of the crescent dough in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. If the corners curl up, that is fine. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove.
- Evenly place 8 slices Colby jack cheese flat, then the 16 slices honey ham and 8 slices Colby jack cheese. Finish the remaining 1 can of crescent dough on top.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top starts to puff and brown. It will not get as puffy as it would if you were making them into actual rolls.
- Remove and while hot, sprinkle with the shredded 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, allowing the residual heat to melt it. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Optionally, top with sour cream and/or chives
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
I think this will be my dinner on Friday because breakfast for dinner is how we like to roll!
Such a fantastic, egg-free casserole! I love all the layering with the slices of ham. Yum!
Every year I made something similar for Halloween. My kids are going to be begging for this ham and cheese casserole recipe all year long now! It’s so easy and such a classic!
3 ingredients?! This is my kind of casserole!
This Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is so easy to make and delicious! It’s perfect for feeding a crowd. Everyone loved it!
We love a cheesy start to the day and this casserole does not disappoint!