Overnight Croque Monsieur Casserole - Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread

Step 1 Coat a 3-quart (13×9-inch) baking dish with butter and set aside. Step 2 Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add butter. When butter is slightly frothy, add onion, season with salt, stir, and cook until just softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to soften and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in thyme. Step 3 Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, mustard, hot sauce, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Arrange half of the cubed bread in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup Gruyere and half each of onion-garlic mixture and ham. Repeat layering with remaining bread, onion mixture, ham, and Gruyere cheese. Pour egg mixture over top. Step 4 Press down on bread to fully submerge in egg custard, cover with plastic wrap, and weigh down with a heavy plate. Refrigerate for 3 to 12 hours. Step 5 When ready to bake, remove weight and plastic wrap from casserole, cover with aluminum foil, and place in oven on middle rack. Set oven temperature to 325°F (no need to preheat) and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and increase temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle parmesan over the strata and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Step 6 Remove from oven and sprinkle over remaining thyme. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve with hot sauce on the side. Recipe adapted from: http://saltandwind.com