Baked Crepes with Ham and Cheese Recipe
Baked crepes with ham and cheese are a homemade Polish answer to pasta cannelloni, using thin savoury crepes. Delicate pancakes wrap around ham and gooey cheese, while cream with garlic creates a simple sauce and golden crust. It’s a great way to use up leftover crepes and fridge odds and ends without feeling like you’re eating “reheated” food.
Baked crepes are a popular way in Polish homes to use up extra pancakes from the previous day. They replace croquettes or pasta bakes but are quicker, as they don’t require breading or a complicated filling.
This dish combines homemade crepes with the idea of a baked casserole, without extra breading like for croquettes. Thanks to the creamy sauce and plenty of cheese, the inside stays juicy while the top bakes to a pleasant crust. The recipe is easy to adapt to whatever you have in the fridge by changing the type of ham or adding vegetables.
Why this version works
- A thin batter gives very delicate crepes that don’t overpower the filling.
- Cream with garlic acts as a sauce that moistens the crepes and prevents them from drying out.
- A short bake at 180°C melts the cheese and browns the top without turning the crepes into rubbery rolls.
Chef's tips
If the first crepe turns out too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water – after baking, thick batter becomes rubbery and heavy. Make sure the pan is really well heated; the batter should set immediately, otherwise the crepe will soak up the fat and be greasy. When rolling, press the edges with your hand so the filling doesn’t push out the sides and leak during baking.
How to serve
Serve immediately after baking with a simple green salad with vinaigrette, carrot slaw or sauerkraut salad to cut through the richness of the cheese. They also work well as a warm appetizer for family gatherings, cut into smaller pieces and served with tomato or garlic sauce.
Watch out for
- Don’t fill hot crepes – the batter is too soft and tears easily when rolling.
- If there is too little sauce, the top will dry out quickly; the crepes should be at least thinly covered with cream.
- Once the cheese is melted and golden at the edges, stop baking, otherwise the crepes will toughen.
Substitutions
- Replace part of the ham with sautéed mushrooms or spinach if you want a lighter, less meaty version.
- You can swap the 18–30% cream for milk with a tablespoon of butter – the sauce will be thinner but lighter.
- Replace yellow cheese with mozzarella and a little Parmesan if you prefer a more Italian character.
Ingredients
- flour wheat - 150 g
- milk - 300 ml
- sparkling or still water - 100 ml
- eggs - 2 piece
- oil vegetable - 3 tablespoons
- cooked ham - 200 g
- cheese yellow - 200 g
- cream 30% or 18% - 150 ml
- garlic - 1 clove
- salt
- pepper ground black
- parsley - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Put the flour into a bowl, add the eggs, milk, water, 1 tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt. Blend or whisk thoroughly until the batter is smooth and pourable, like thin cream. Set aside for 10–15 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and lightly grease with oil. When a drop of batter sets immediately and doesn’t soak into the fat, the pan is hot enough and you can start frying the crepes.
- Pour in a portion of batter, tilting the pan so it covers the bottom in a very thin layer. Fry for 1–2 minutes until the edges turn golden and start to lift on their own, flip and cook for about 1 more minute. Fry about 8 thin crepes.
- Stack the finished crepes and let them cool slightly – they should be warm but not hot, so they roll flexibly without cracking. Preheat the oven to 180°C top and bottom heat, and lightly grease a baking dish with oil.
- Cut the ham into thin strips or leave in slices, grate the cheese on the coarse side of a grater. Place 1–2 slices of ham and a handful of cheese on each crepe, leaving a 1–2 cm border free so the filling doesn’t leak out while baking.
- Roll the crepes fairly tightly, starting from the side with the filling. Arrange them in the dish side by side, seam side down; they should fit snugly so they don’t unroll and the cheese stays inside.
- In a small bowl mix the cream with the finely chopped or pressed garlic, season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be smooth, smell distinctly of garlic and still pour easily.
- Pour the cream over the crepes so the top is thinly covered and the sides are only lightly coated with sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese in an even layer; where there are gaps, the cheese will brown more deeply.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the crepes and cheese are golden and slightly crisp. When pressed with a fork, the crepes should feel soft, not hard.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 3–5 minutes so the filling sets slightly and doesn’t run out when cutting. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve very hot, preferably cut on the diagonal.
Storage
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days, tightly covered so they don’t dry out. Reheat in the oven covered, adding a tablespoon of cream or cheese, as the edges become drier and firmer after chilling.
I most often make these on Fridays with 3–4 lonely crepes left from the week and whatever I find in the fridge. I always add extra cheese on top, because in our house there’s a battle for the most well‑baked, crispy edges.
