Baked Endives with Ham (Endives au Jambon)
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Baked endives with ham is the ultimate French comfort food when it’s cold outside. This classic dish from northern France with its creamy béchamel, juicy ham and slightly bitter endives is a meal that I cook almost every week in winter!
In This Article
These Baked Endives with Ham are such un underrated French classic dish. For me it’s a bit the heatlhy version of Croque-Monsieur, basically you remove the bread and replace it with endives!
The Key Ingredients for Baked Endives
In France, we simply call this recipe endives au jambon so endives with ham, and honestly, it’s basically all what you need to make this dish! The rest is probably already in your fridge 😉:
- Endives: Go for Belgian endives. When buying them, make sure that the heads are firm and the tips are light yellow.
- Ham: I recommend using large slices of cooked ham so that you can wrap the endives well.
- Béchamel sauce: a classic French sauce made from butter, flour and milk. You can find my detailed béchamel sauce recipe here.
- Grated cheese: I use Emmental or Gruyère for baking. You can also go for Mozzarella even if it’s not totally French.
My 3 Tips for a Delicious Endives au Gratin
To make sure your casserole doesn’t get watery and tastes really good, here are my three most important tips for you:
- Braise the endives beforehand: Usually in France, we just steam or boil them to pre-cook them. But I think braising them gives them a super nice caramelized taste. I also add a little honey to balance the natural bitterness of the endives.
- Drain well: This is the most important step! Squeeze the chicory well after braising. If you skip this step, they will releases too much water during baking and the Bechamel sauce will end up too runny.
- Cheese in the Bechamel sauce: Add some of the grated cheese directly into the warm Bechamel sauce! We call it sauce mornay.
Recipe card
Baked Endives with Ham (Endives au Jambon)
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Ingredients
- 8 endives medium
- 8 slices of ham (rind removed)
- 1 cup grated cheese Gruyère or Emmental
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 drizzle of oil or butter (for braising)
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth or water or chicken stock
For the béchamel sauce
- 2 cups whole milk (500 ml)
- 3 tbsp butter (40 g)
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (40 g)
- 1 cup grated cheese Gruyère or Emmental
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Prepare the endives
- First, cut off a thin slice of the base of the endives. Heat some oil or butter in a large pan and place the endives side by side. Add a little honey to reduce the bitterness and let caramelize for about 2 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper.
- Then pour about ⅓ cup (80 ml) of water or vegetable broth over the endives and continue cooking over medium heat for 15–20 minutes until tender (test with the tip of a knife). Afterwards, drain the endives thoroughly in a colander and gently press out any excess liquid.
The Bechamel Sauce
- In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the flour at once, and cook while stirring for 1 minute (do not let it brown!).
- Gradually pour in the milk while stirring vigorously until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Layering & Baking
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Wrap each endive firmly in a slice of ham and place them side by side in a greased baking dish.
- Pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the wrapped endives.
- Sprinkle with cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.
Nutrition
What goes well with gratinated chicory?
In France, the dish is served without side dishes, as the béchamel and ham make it wonderfully filling. It is usually served with fresh baguette to dip the last of the béchamel out of the dish. If you would like a little something on the side, I would recommend the following:
- Green leaf salad: A fresh contrast with a strong vinaigrette goes wonderfully with the richness of the casserole.
- Soup as a starter: Especially in winter, I like to serve a soup as a starter, like my leek and potato soup (vichyssoise) or my creamy cauliflower soup.
- Potatoes: If you’re looking for another filling side dish, you can make my crispy potatoes from the hot air fryer (while the oven is busy) or simply baked potatoes.
More Recipes with Endives
If you like endives, you’re sure to like these ideas too:
- Endive Boats with Feta and Walnuts – perfect for a quick and elegant appetizer
- Endive Salad with Oranges and Walnuts – my favorite salad with endives!
- Chicory and Brie Tarte Tatin – perfect for a fancy starter or just for a winter meal.
Frequently asked questions
You can simply reheat the leftovers in the oven the next day for approx. 10-15 minutes at 180 °C (390 °F). This will soften the cheese again. It’s also possible in the microwave, but the endives often becomes a little softer and the sauce more liquid.
Theoretically yes, but I don’t necessarily recommend it. The béchamel sauce can lose its creamy consistency when defrosted and the chicory often becomes very watery when frozen. This dish simply tastes best fresh!
If you have any leftovers, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They keep for up to 2 days.
Delicious 😋
Thank you !