These savory baked crepes are stuffed with sausages, mascarpone and zucchini. They are fantastic for brunch or dinner!
The summer of 1986 was one to remember. I was fifteen years old and the World Exposition had taken over a large chunk of prime waterfront land in downtown Vancouver. My dear friend, J. and I clambered on the bus whenever we could, Expo passes clutched in our hands, filled with anticipation of our day exploring the international venues, sampling various foods (waffles, crepes, curries), and checking out any cute teenaged boys that wandered across our paths. Come on, we were fifteen. That’s what teenaged girls do. And besides, we were just doing our part to promote international diplomacy. To this day, because J. and I are still close friends, we joke about the various names we gave to the unsuspecting objects of our admiration – “black tank top boy” and “red baseball cap boy” were at the top of our discerning list.
As we often craved something sweet during our adventures, the French pavilion became one of our favorite haunts. No matter what time of day we visited, we found the chefs diligently filling any number of thin, tender pancakes with a range of savory and sweet fillings. As the crepe batter hit the large, circular cast-iron griddle, it sizzled and bubbled to form a paper-thin wrap. Spoonfuls of strawberry or blackberry cream filling, or spatulas laden with creamy Nutella were smeared onto the crepes, which were then quickly rolled into thin batons. Our first bites were always taken in reverential silence, as our lips wrapped around the still-warm crepes and our teeth sank through the sweet, soft filling.
While crepes are often thought of as a dessert or sweet breakfast treat, they work beautifully as a savory brunch or dinner dish. Whether filling them with leftovers, such as ham and asparagus, or conjuring up a mixture of gourmet sausages, zucchini, and mascarpone cheese, crepes are a surprisingly easy meal because the they can be made ahead. When wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a ziploc bag, crepes can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to two months. When ready to use, let the crepes defrost at room temperature, remove the plastic wrap, and wrap the pile of crepes in aluminum foil. Place in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then separate and fill the crepes.
In this recipe, I used a mixture of chickpea (garbanzo bean), which can be found in health food and Indian food stores, and all-purpose flours. If you prefer to leave out the chickpea flour, use a total of 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
How to make baked crepes
In a blender, combine eggs, flours, milk, water, salt, and melted butter.
Puree for about 10 seconds. Scrape down sides, then puree for additional 15 to 20 seconds, or until mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Remove the crepe batter from the fridge and stir. Heat a 9- or 10-inch nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat. Lift the pan from the heat, pour ¼ cup crepe batter onto the pan in a circular motion, and swirl to evenly coat the pan. Place the pan back on the heat and cook until the center of the crepe is almost dry and the edges are lightly browned.
Using a spatula, flip the crepe and cook for additional 15 seconds. Remove from the pan, and place on a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining batter until there are 8 crepes.
How to make savory crepe filling
Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausages start to brown. Add zucchini slices and cook until they are just tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together mascarpone cheese and egg until combined. Stir in sausage mixture, basil, and hazelnuts.
Using 8 crepes, arrange â…“ cup filling down the center of each crepe. Roll and lay side-by-side in a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Brush the tops of the crepes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
(Make ahead: At this point, the crepes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let the crepes rest for at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake until the crepes are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Other crepe recipes
Tarragon Crepes with Ham, Asparagus & Mascarpone Cheese
2-Ingredient Crepes
Buckwheat Crepes with Blended Berry Yogurt
Printable Recipe
Baked Crepes with Sausage & Zucchini
Ingredients
The crepes:
- 2 eggs
- â…” cup all-purpose flour
- â…” cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
- 1 cup skim milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
The filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large shallot minced
- 12 ounces pre-cooked chicken sausage (such as Aidell's) cut into half-circles
- 1 small zucchini cut into half-circles
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
The crepes:
- In a blender, combine eggs, flours, milk, water, salt, and melted butter. Puree for about 10 seconds. Scrape down sides, then puree for additional 15 to 20 seconds, or until mixture is smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Remove the crepe batter from the fridge and stir. Heat a 9- or 10-inch nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat. Lift the pan from the heat, pour ¼ cup crepe batter onto the pan in a circular motion, and swirl to evenly coat the pan. Place the pan back on the heat and cook until the center of the crepe is almost dry and the edges are lightly browned. Using a spatula, flip the crepe and cook for additional 15 seconds.
- Remove from the pan, and place on a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining batter until there are 8 crepes.
The filling:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausages start to brown. Add zucchini slices and cook until they are just tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together mascarpone cheese and egg until combined. Stir in sausage mixture, basil, and hazelnuts.
- Using 8 crepes, arrange ⅓ cup filling down the center of each crepe. Roll and lay side-by-side in a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Brush the tops of the crepes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
- (Make ahead: At this point, the crepes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let the crepes rest for at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.)
- Bake until the crepes are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Kristen
What a lovely brunch that would make. I adore crepes of all sorts.
warmvanillasugar
Oh my goodness, these are so sophisticated looking! Great recipe 🙂
Medeja
I like crepes and with almost any filling 🙂 but I still haven't learned to make those thin pancakes.. I always ask mom to make them for me :)))
Kim - Liv Life
Oohh!!! I am excited about these!! I have never had anything but a sweet crepe, and while I like them, this is something that I would love. I've not worked with the garbonzo bean flour, but had seen it at the store. Actually had it in my had but didn't know what I'd do with it!
Thank you for this recipe, I'm really eager to try!
Lauren's Latest
I've only ever had sweet crepes, so I'll have to try these savory ones! Looks great!
Belinda @zomppa
Whoa!!!!! Baked crepes - love them!! Fun to have food memories like that.
Wilde in the Kitchen
Once I saw there was sausage involved this recipe got very interesting for me. I love sausages! Great tip about making the crepes ahead of time. They always take so long to prepare!
Stephanie
This looks delicious! I usually always make sweet crepes but I love this idea for savory crepes. Your photos are beautiful and are making my mouth water!
danasfoodforthought
Wow my mouth is watering.... great pics! Now I think I want crepes for lunch... lucking there's a French takeout place nearby!
Drick
love that sausage... this dish and the previous meatball one is a toss up - both are so darn good sounding and inviting....