Ham and Cheese Soufflé

This recipe for a fluffy ham and cheese souffle will show you that making souffles is both delicious and way easier than you think!

Why we love this recipe

Soufflés have gotten a bad rap over the years, I think. For some reason, every time I mention that I am making one of these airy, cheesy, super simple soufflé recipes, folks tell me how very adventurous I am to try such a hard dish to make.

But honestly? They are one of the easiest (and fanciest!) thing you can do with some eggs and a few other things, and they do make you feel like you are doing some very fine dining, even making it was easy as pie.

Or in this case, as easy as the easiest ham and cheese casserole you know, only fluffier! They are also a great way to use up any leftover ham you might have.

So, no fear! I’m going to take you through it step by easy step.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe

Ingredient notes and subsitutions

• Ham: If you have leftover ham this is a perfect way to use it up. If not, I pick up a ham steak (usually next to the bacon in my grocery store) and that works perfectly. You can also substitute turkey or chicken if you like that better.
• Milk: Low fat or whole milk work just fine in this recipe. Don’t use skim, as it won’t give your souffle enough heft.
• Spices: I know, it looks like this combo is going to make these soufflés very zingy, but take it from this spice wimp…you are adding such a teeny amount that they are going to give just the right amount of flavor without being too sassy.
• Cheese: We love cheddar cheese (both mild and sharp) for this recipe, but you can substitute grated Swiss or Monterey Jack if you prefer.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

Here’s how to make this recipe

STEP 1: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium pot over medium high heat.

STEP 2: Whisk in some flour, then whisk in some milk. Bring this mixture to a simmer and stir until it is thickened, about five minutes.

STEP 3: Remove from the heat and stir in some grated cheddar, dry mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, and six egg yolks. Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes or until thickened.

STEP 4: Transfer to a large bowl, stir in some chopped ham and and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

STEP 5: Heat your oven to 375 and grease one two quart casserole or six 8-ounce individual ramekin dishes with butter. Coat the bottom and the sides of the casserole or ramekins with some grated Parmesan, shaking out any excess. (Yep, our souffles are going to be coated in CHEESE.

STEP 6: Whip six egg whites with an electric mixer until they form peaks.

STEP 7: Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.

STEP 8: Scrape the mixture into your casserole (or divide it between the ramekins) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake them up until they golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes. If you are using a casserole, it might take a little longer – give it another five or ten minutes until it looks golden and puffy.

Serve immediately.  And when I say immediately, I mean immediately.

Recipe FAQ

Want to round out your meal?

As perfect as these soufflés are, they are light little guys, so I always try and serve up something else on the side. We love this recipe for asparagus with Parmesan bread crumb sauce.

If you are serving these up for a brunch – it makes a great brunch or breakfast souffle – try a mimosa fruit salad on the side.

And sometimes I like to keep the fanciness going with a super easy chocolate mousse for dessert…it’s got the same vibe, only sweeter!

Other soufflé recipes we love

Could you leave us a review?

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.

Ham and Cheese Souffle

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This recipe for a fluffy ham and cheese souffle will show you that making souffles is both delicious and way easier than you think!

• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Chilling Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop and Oven
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 4 ounces grated cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 eggs, separated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces chopped ham
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

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Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, and egg yolks. Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in ham and and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 375 and grease one two quart casserole or six 8 ounce individual ramekin dishes with remaining butter. Coat the bottom and the sides of the ramekins with the Parmesan, shaking out any excess.
5. Whip the eggs whites with an electric mixer until they form peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.
6. Scrape the the batter between casserole (or divide among the ramekins) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes.  If you are baking it in one casserole, it might take a little long – five or ten more minutes.
7. Serve immediately.  And when I say immediately, I mean immediately.

Notes

Eggs: I usually use extra large eggs for this recipe, but regular will work just fine.

Separating Eggs: Folks have differing opinions about this, but I find the most reliable way is to do it with your own freshly washed hands. Have two mixing bowls ready and crack the egg over one and slip it into your hand. Let the white run off into one bowl and then slip the yolk into the second one. I find that there is less chance of the yolk breaking this way.

Vegetarian Option: If you want to make this a vegetarian dish (assuming you are okay with eggs of course) you can leave out the ham and swap in an equal amount of cooked veggies.  Chopped asparagus is especially nice!