cheese-and-ham-toastie-dinner-bake

Cheese and ham toastie dinner bake

A twist on the classic, this easy egg dish will have your guests coming back for seconds.

40g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup white wine

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

6 eggs

1 cup thickened cream

320g baguette, cut into 1.5cm slices

250g sliced ham, torn into large pieces

1 cup grated cheddar

Salad leaves, to serve

Fresh thyme sprigs, to serve

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Grease an 8-cup-capacity, 6cm-deep 22cm x 32cm oval baking dish.

Step 2

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Return to heat. Add wine and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture starts to boil and thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3

Whisk eggs and cream in a bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Working with 1 bread slice at a time, spread both sides generously with white sauce. Top with ham. Place upright in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining bread, sauce and ham, arranging bread upright in dish. Pour over egg mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Stand for 10 minutes. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and set. Sprinkle with extra thyme. Serve with salad leaves.