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Ham & Cheese Breakfast Soufflé – an easy and delicious soufflé loaded with smoked Gouda, diced ham, eggs and salty Parmesan cheese all wrapped up in a puff pastry shell.
First of all, weekend breakfast just got a whole lot better! Have you ever wished you could make something special, different and delicious without spending all day in the kitchen? Me too! This recipe came about after I purchased puff pastry by accident instead of the phyllo dough I was looking for to make Spanakopita. While this is not meant to be a copycat recipe per se, it’s very similar to the breakfast soufflé you can buy at a Panera Bread restaurant.
These are not traditional soufflés but they do ‘puff up’ and come out of the oven with a giant domed top.
The Ham & Cheese Breakfast soufflés quickly deflate leaving behind a delicious flaky crust with cheesy soft eggs in the middle.
Do you have to bake these breakfast soufflé in paper wrappers?
If you don’t have paper tart wrappers readily available, ramekins or mini tart pans will work great here too. You’re looking for something about 4.5 inches wide and at least 1/2-inch high. I picked up these paper wrappers, similar to cupcake liners, a long time ago and was thrilled to finally get to use them.
Garnish the breakfast soufflé with your favorite fresh herbs and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Thanks for PINNING!
Ham & Cheese Breakfast Soufflé
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Puff pastry dough, thawed
- 5 large eggs
- ¼ cup half and half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded apple smoked gouda, plus 4 tablespoons, divided (about 1 ounce)
- 4 ounces sliced ham, diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- Minced fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Unroll puff pastry. Allow the frozen pastry to thaw while preparing the other ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place 4 (4 ½-inch) ramekins, mini tart pans or paper soufflé wrappers on a baking sheet. Lightly grease the four baking dishes or ramekins with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs. Add the half and half, salt and pepper and whisk until blended. Add the Parmesan, ½ cup of the smoked gouda, and diced ham. Stir to combine. Microwave the egg mixture for 30 seconds on high. Remove from the microwave and stir the eggs. Microwave 2 or 3 more times (for 30 second intervals) or until you have a very runny scrambled egg mixture.
- Lightly dust the puff pastry with flour and gently roll out to a 12x12 inch square. Cut the pastry into four 6x6-inch pieces.
- Line each ramekin with one piece of the dough. Divide the egg mixture between each ramekin. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of smoked Gouda cheese on top of the egg in each ramekin, and then gently fold the corners of the dough in, over the eggs and cheese. Brush the dough corners with melted butter.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and the eggs are puffed.
- Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the soufflés from the ramekin or pan and serve hot. Garnish with minced chives if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Inspired by a recipe on Food.com by Todd Wilbur
- Adapt by adding your favorite fillings such as spinach, peppers, smoked salmon, onions, Swiss cheese, or cheddar.
Nutrition
Here are a few more breakfast casseroles you might enjoy:
- Farmers Market Quiche
- Spinach, Onion & Cheese Breakfast Strata
- Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes ~ from The View from Great Island
- Crustless Mini-Quiches with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Goat Cheese ~ from The Café Sucre Farine
Now I’m hungry again after writing about these fun breakfast soufflés! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Tricia
Wendi
Would these reheat well?
Tricia Buice
Hi Wendi. You can reheat in a warm oven and they should be okay. If warmed in the microwave the pastry won’t be flaky or crisp, but it’s still edible. These soufflés are best served the day they’re made.
Wendi
Thank you! Once I made one batch I’m ready to make another this time using Gruyère cheese and bacon. Almost missed that the egg mixture needed to be microwaved slightly! Yum yum!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Wendi! So happy you enjoyed these easy breakfast soufflés.
Cheryl
Served to my family for breakfast during their overnight visit. Was nervous to try a new recipes with guests but they loved it! Me too! This recipe made me look good, lol!
Tricia Buice
Woohoo! Yea Cheryl 🙂 So happy you enjoyed these. Looking good!!! 😉
Wendi
I wanted to add that instead of ramekins, I found tart liners on Amazon, similar to what you find at Panera. 50 for under 10$! They worked perfectly!
Melissa
Hi I’ve looked high and low for apple smoked Gouda cheese. I’m wondering if apple a misprint or is there actually apple smoked Gouda??
Tricia Buice
Hi Melissa. No worries if you can’t find it. Just use plain Gouda (or regular smoked Gouda) or any of your favorite cheeses. A well stocked grocery store with a big cheese shop might have it but it will be fine without a smoked cheese. Enjoy!
Chandler
I think it’s really great
Tricia Buice
Thanks Chandler. We love these soufflés too!
Cookies4kids
Love these at Panera so exited to make them. When I fill these and fold the edges of the pastry over the egg, the points sink into the egg. Is my egg too runny? It was starting to set some at two minutes. Thank you
Tricia Buice
Did you add anything to your eggs like ham or spinach? The extra ingredients helps prevent it from sinking into the mixture. Did you use ramekins or paper liners as you see in the photos? If you used something too small, the edges would be too big and heavy and the mixture too deep. Hope this helps!
Cheryl
These are delicious!!! I used spinach, ham and Swiss cheese and sautéed onions- YUM!!! Would like to know the calorie count of the original recipe.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Marissa Sanchez
I don’t have apple smoked Gouda. What type of cheese would be a good substitute? How will it affect the taste?
Tricia Buice
Hi Marissa. Any good melting cheese works well in these soufflés. We like Monterey Jack and even Pepper Jack cheese, too. Smoked Gouda has a distinct flavor, but that doesn’t mean these won’t be good with other cheeses. For a stronger bite try Gruyere cheese or use plain Gouda. It’s all good!
Renee
I came across this recipe today and made them this morning. These are delicous and the recipe worked great. Thank you so much.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Renee! We appreciate the feedback and are so glad they worked out great for you. Thank you!
Heather Koziel
Have you ever made this with 6oz ramekins? The smaller ones. They are about 3.5 wide. Compared to the 4.5 ones you used. I would assume I could roll out my dough to 12×12 and cut to 3×3.
Would you change cooking time seeing as this makes 8? Or do you think that matters.
Also would you recommend using more ingredients?
Tricia Buice
Hi Heather – no I have not made these in ramekins but think they’ll be fine as long as you use somewhat shallow dishes. I don’t think you’ll need to adjust the ingredients. It’s really a great idea to make 9 soufflés by cutting the pastry 3×3 instead of 2×2. You’ll be able to tell if they’re done so just watch the baking time, perhaps 5 minutes less? These are so easy to make, and will probably work perfectly as you described. Good luck and enjoy!
monica mrozek
Wouldn’t you get 16 3×3 squares cutting it like that or am I not understanding this right?
Tricia Buice
Hi Monica. Cut the pastry into four 6×6-inch pieces. The pastry is rolled into a 12-inch square. Hope that helps!
Cali Cook Deb
Just made this soufflé for breakfast, and it was perfect!!! Turned out looking exactly like yours, except didn’t add the chives, only because hubby didn’t want to wait until I harvested some from the backyard. I added chopped green onions though. Soooo delicious! Hubby wants to add to Christmas morning brunch list. Thanks for the recipe. Going to be making the cherry ice cream w/dark chocolate as soon as I’m done sending this. Also, hubby wants the Blueberry puff pastry tarts with Lemon cream. He always has a sweet tooth! 😉
Enjoy your Crete trip. Loved seeing the post on Instagram. How fun.
Tricia Buice
Outstanding! So glad you enjoyed this recipe – which is so much easier to make than you’d think 🙂 The crispy pastry, the cheesy salty filling – all delicious 🙂 Glad you’re going to try the cherry ice cream too – my husband adores it and I hope yours does too! Also, love those blueberry lemon cream pastry tarts – you’ve picked some great recipes to try. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know how this turned out for you. If you want to give a star rating to any of these recipes, I know it will help our other readers too. Thanks so much – you made my day!
Kim
I don’t have a microwave. Is there a way to make them without a microwave?
Tricia Buice
Hi Kim. You can scramble the eggs in a skillet before adding to the pastry. Don’t cook them all the way just enough to set the eggs slightly. Good luck!
Amanda
I really love the souffles from Panara and while this isn’t supposed to be a copy cat, this looks like something I’ll like way better! Do you think these will freeze well? I often wake up early enough to get to wry on time, so I’m looking for something other than sandwiches i can make ahead of time and eat at work…
Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Yes Amanda I do think they would freeze well. I would under bake a little and seal well after cooling completely. Thank you for giving our recipe a try!