Another holiday meal favorite that usually results in leftovers is ham. I am not a fan of having leftovers for days. So I usually try to get rid of it as soon as possible. That could mean having it for brunch and for dinner. My favorite brunch food with ham is "ham and cheese croissant". You can freeze the extras. You can make it the night before. It takes very little time to bake and with very good results. Here's the recipe that I used last night for an amazing croissant.
Ham and Cheese Croissant
Ingredients:
1 cup Butter (softened)
1/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Sugar
3/4 cup Milk (warmed)
1/2 cup Water (warm to about 110 F)
4 1/2 tsp Active dry yeast (or 2 packages)
3 cups Flour
3 cups Leftover ham cut into strands
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 large Egg yolk
1/4 cup Milk
3 tbsp Oregano (dried)
Directions:
1. Using a wooden spoon or a hand mixer (lowest setting), cream the butter with the salt, sugar and flour until evenly blended.
2. Spoon the mixture on to a large piece of wax paper, cover with another large piece of wax paper. Roll the butter into a thin, flat sheet (12 x 6 inches) with a rolling pin. (It is better to use a cold stainless steel or ceramic rolling pin if you have one.)
3. Place the thinned out butter on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.
4. Mix the warm water and yeast together until dissolved. Add warm milk. Slowly add the flour 1 cup and a time and mix until evenly blended using a wooden spoon.
5. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth (adding a little bit of flour if needed). About 10 minutes. Let the dough rise (covered) in a warm (80 F), draft free place until double (about 1 hr).
6. Roll the dough out into a large square (14 x 14 inches). Place the sheet butter on to one half of the dough, remove the wax papers. Fold the dough in half, covering the butter, and pinch the edges to seal.
7. Roll the dough into a 20 x 8 inches rectangle. Starting from the short side, fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Seal edges and wrap dough in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Repeat step 7 four more times.
9. Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll the dough out into a 20 x 8 rectangle.
10. With a sharp knife or a pastry knife, cut the dough into thirds. Place about 1/4 cup of ham and a small handful of cheese at the end of each thirds. Fold the corners closest to the ham over the ham mixture. Roll in the edges and fold in the corners of the other end. Roll the ham mixture in tightly.Repeat with the rest of the dough quarters.
11. Place the croissants on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Let rise for 1 hour in a warm, draft free place. Cover with a clean cloth.
12. Beat the egg yolk with the milk. Brush over croissants. Sprinkle oregano over the top.
13. Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake croissants for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 F and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden.
14. Cool for 5 minutes and serve!
Happy Cooking!!
