Smash Your Croissants For A Crispy Grilled Cheese

Flattened croissants are an underrated accessory for leveling up sandwiches. Some may find squashing the airy, buttery layers blasphemous, but if you're the type of person who's always on the lookout for the next best bread for your grilled cheese, this could be it. Like the craggy edges of smashed potatoes add lots of crispy texture when fried, smashing a croissant makes for a crackling bite. Flattened and cooked on a skillet, it becomes a delicious pastry bread that's crunchy and flaky on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside. 

If a sandwich made of two croissants sounds rich for your taste, you can use a single one to make an open-faced sandwich; flattening and frying make it sturdy enough to carry toppings. The best part is that this is a great way to use up stale croissants. For every fresh croissant that's smashed, a stale one can be revived to keep the French food gods pacified. And once you've tried the grilled cheese, there are many more ways to eat a croissant than you may have thought.

When smashing a croissant, try to get it as flat as possible with the rolling pin. This removes the air pockets while retaining the soft, delicate pastry layers inside. Fry both sides of the flattened croissant in butter on a skillet, crisping up the outside layers. 

While a simple grilled cheese is a classic, additional fillings can contrast the flavors and help cut through the richness of all that butter and cheese. Sices of tomatoes and some herbs go a long way. The croissant's mild sweetness also lends to most flavor combinations — from eggs-ham-cheese breakfast sandwich fixings to Italian flag flavors (pesto, tomato, mozzarella). Or, try a combination of thinly sliced apple, turkey, and arugula with sharp cheddar. 

For a scenic ride along the sweet-savory route, sear one side of the smashed croissant with honey and pair it with smoked or spicy cheese. And, since we're breaking the rules anyway, consider adding some kimchi or chili crisp inside your smashed croissant grilled cheese. Trust us: the crispy croissant, creamy cheese, and acidic spice combine to hit all the right spots.

Smashed croissant sandwiches go down easily, so it's important to remember they're loaded with butter. To reduce the decadence, skip the additional butter while frying since there's already some in the croissant dough. Alternatively, slice open a croissant like a bread roll, fill it with your sandwich fillings, and flatten it on a hot skillet to make a single-smashed croissant sandwich.

It may sound hard to believe, but there may sometimes be leftover croissants. Day-old pastries still pack a lot of deliciousness but lose their flaky and delicate texture. This makes them perfect for repurposing into smashed croissant sandwiches or crispy dipping bread to be paired with soups, fruit preserves, or even Nutella.

If the croissants are too stale to smash, rehydrating is the key to repurposing them. Make French toast by dipping them in an egg mixture and frying. The moisture from the eggs helps rehydrate the croissant and results in a layered French toast that can be enjoyed with savory or sweet toppings (remember to season your egg mixture appropriately, depending on the toppings you choose). Or, make bread pudding by tearing the croissant into chunks and mixing them with beaten eggs, milk, and sugar. Bake for 20 minutes and serve with ice cream or fruit preserves. Another quick option is to dip large croissant chunks in a mixture of milk, sugar, and cinnamon and then bake till crispy.

Croissant chunks can also level up soups. Fry or bake them till crispy to use as buttery croutons. Or, much like stale bread in the Italian ribollita, use leftover croissant pieces to thicken up stews and soups. The buttery, flaky goodness of croissants will never go to waste again!