Ham & Spinach Breakfast Souffle
This Ham and spinach soufflé dish is practically foolproof to make! It’s light and airy and a great dish for a crowd. Whether for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, this ham, cheese, and spinach souffle takes less than 20 minutes to make and is so delicious. 
Souffles can be challenging at times and a little bit intimidating. The first time I tried this recipe, it didn’t come out quite right, but let me assure you that I tested this one for you many times so that it would be so simple and easy even if you consider yourself to be a mediocre chef (you can do it!!) that you’ll be meal-planning it into your life all the time. This egg and cheese soufflé is light and airy and has the most beautiful fluffy texture when it comes out of the oven. After whipping egg whites until you have firm peaks and gently mixing it in, it allows for a soufflé batter that omits flour and milk. The result is an amazing savory soufflé that is such an easy and versatile meal. You can easily exchange the ham and spinach for mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, or onions and change the type of cheese you use. It really is such a delicious way to use your favorite ingredients and serve the most elegant egg soufflé recipe ever! Serve it for brunch, light lunch, or have breakfast for dinner!
Why You Will Love This Ham & Cheese Souffle
- This quick and easy Ham and Cheese Soufflé can be ready in 20 minutes
- This delicious egg souffle is light and fluffy
- It’s a great dish to serve when you want to impress, it looks fancy but is actually incredibly easy to make.
- This is a great dish to serve with breakfast, brunch or lunch, its incredibly versatile
- It is incredibly versatile and can be easily adjusted to your own tastes.
- Double the recipe to feed a crowd or make individual servings in a muffin pan or small oven-safe ramekins.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Ham & Cheese Souffle
- Eggs: I’m not always a huge fan of eggs, but this recipe is divine. You’ll make fluffy egg whites and then stir them into the rest of the ingredients to get a fluffy, airy consistency.
- Mustard: I prefer Dijon mustard, but hot mustard, whole grain mustard, or English mustard all work depending on the desired level of spice you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese: I find using good-quality freshly grated parmesan or parmesan found in the cheese aisle is the best cheese for this instead of the grated parmesan in the tub because the flavor of the cheese is richer and more robust.
- Cheddar Cheese: I used sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe, but you can mix it up and combine white and yellow cheddar or just white cheddar. Swiss cheese would be a delicious option too that has a mild nutty flavor that pairs really well with ham. Feel free to get creative with your cheese selection and use any grated cheese or cheese mixture of choice.
- Ham: I have used thinly sliced Black Forest ham and diced ham, which work well for this souffle. Shredded, thinly sliced black forest ham is a bit more delicate and better suited to the souffle’s light and fluffy consistency.
- Spinach: I prefer fresh spinach; saute it quickly in a pan, and then roughly chop it. Make sure you get as much water as possible from the spinach using a sieve and paper towel.
- Cayenne: I like adding a pinch of cayenne, which gives this souffle a touch of spice. Depending on what you have on hand, you can also use chili powder or a dash or two of hot sauce or Tabasco.
How to Make This Ham & Cheese Souffle
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9-inch oven-proof skillet on medium-low heat, cook the spinach with a splash of water until it has wilted. Squeeze out any excess water using a paper towel and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, chopped ham, sauteed spinach, dijon mustard, cayenne and the cheeses (saving a small handful for later).
- Place egg whites in a separate mixing bowl and use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or a stand mixer to whisk on medium-high speed, until they form stiff peaks (it should take approximately 2 minutes). Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture, trying not to lose the air bubbles from the beaten whites.
- Place butter in the skillet and place it in the oven for 3-4 minutes until it begins to bubble. Swirl the melted butter around the pan to ensure it covers all of the surface and pour mixture in. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until you see the soufflé rise and turn golden brown in color. Baking time may vary depending on your oven. Remove from the oven and garnish.
What Is The Best Pan To Use To Make This Ham & Cheese Souffle
This ham and cheese soufflé recipe will puff up nice and high, so make sure your dish is deep enough. I used a 9-inch cast iron skillet for this soufflé recipe. If you double the recipe for a lot of people, you can also use a deep glass round or square baking dish or a 9×13 baking dish. You can also divide this into equal amounts in individual ramekins for an amazing, convenient option.
How To Serve This Ham & Cheese Souffle
This basic recipe is best served fresh out of the oven, as it will still be light and fluffy. The most important thing to know is that if it is baked in advance, it will likely drop and settle. It will serve beautifully in the dish it is baked in. Use a rubber spatula to ease it away from the rim of the dish, slice, and serve right away. Enjoy it with a beautiful fruit salad, green salad, the fruit of your choice, or a creamy yogurt bowl.
Ways To Modify This Ham & Cheese Souffle
This souffle recipe can easily be modified to satisfy your taste buds or dietary restrictions. The filling options are vast and you can add extra ingredients, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, or onions. You can exchange the spinach for kale or maybe even broccoli for a green. You can swap out the cheddar cheese for Monterey jack cheeses, Swiss cheese, or gouda, or even dairy-free cheese to make this dairy-free and Paleo.
Can I Make This in Advance?
Although a ham and cheese egg souffle is best enjoyed fresh from the oven, you can make it in advance. You can prepare the batter earlier in the day or up to 24 hours before, and then cover it in an airtight container or plastic wrap. If you bake it ahead, you can do so up to 2 days beforehand. Simply reheat in a hot oven on the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through.
What About Leftovers?
This is a great recipe to have for leftovers for a few extra days. It will sink and less fluffy, but it will still be delicious. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for next time; this will make delicious leftovers for 3-4 days. Make sure you bring it to room temperature before storing to prevent extra moisture from getting in, which can cause it to spoil quicker.
Here are a few more breakfast recipes that you might enjoy:
- Mexican Eggs Benedict
- Salmon, Caper & Asparagus Quiche
- Christmas Morning Wife Saver
- Breakfast Tacos
- Greek Breakfast Frittata
- Mexican Breakfast Hash
- Ratatouille Baked Eggs
- Kale, Spinach & Mushroom Baked Eggs
If you make this egg souffle recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Ham & Spinach Souffle
Ingredients
- 5 eggs separated
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup ham chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- salt and pepper
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 tsp butter or oil
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius)
- In a 9 inch oven proof skillet on medium low heat cook the spinach with a splash of water until it has wilted. Squeeze out any excess water using a paper towel and set aside.
- In a bowl combine the egg yolks, chopped ham, sauteed spinach, dijon mustard, cayenne and the cheeses (saving a small handful for later), Stir to combine
- In a separate bowl use an electric whisk to whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (it should take approximately 2 minutes)
- Gently fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites trying not to lose the air from the whites
- Place 1 tsp of butter in the skillet and place it in the oven for 3-4 minutes until it begins to bubble. Remove the pan from the oven, and swirl the melted butter around to ensure it covers all of the surface. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until it has risen and turned golden in color. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
This post was originally published on December 31, 2014 and updated with new copy and photographs on December 17, 2024.
Absolutely delicious!
Tried the Spinach and Ham Soufflé today for our Sunday dinner. My wife can’t abide Cheddar Cheeses, so we don’t have them – I substituted Muenster. We all loved it! It’s on our favorites list now. 😊😍🥰❤️
Shredded cheese, right?
Yes thats correct, ill edit the recipe to specify
I made this for breakfast this morning and loved it, it has so much great flavour. I will definitely be making this again