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Croque Monsieur

The classic French café sandwich: ham and Gruyère on bread, topped with creamy béchamel and more cheese, then baked and broiled until golden and bubbling.

By Tasty Nest Recipes Editorial TeamPublished

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35 min total 4 sandwichesIntermediate

Croque madame with a browned, bubbling cheese top and a fried egg, served with salad and fries

Photo: KJGarbutt · CC BY 2.0. Illustrative photo; your results may look different.

About this recipe

A croque monsieur is the French café's answer to a ham and cheese sandwich, and it is gloriously rich. Ham and Gruyère go inside, then the whole sandwich is topped with a nutmeg-scented béchamel sauce and more cheese and baked until bubbling.

Add a fried egg on top and it becomes a croque madame. Serve it with a crisp green salad to balance the richness.

Equipment you'll need

  • Small saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Rimmed baking sheet

Tips for success

  • Whisk constantly while adding the milk to avoid lumps in the béchamel.
  • Watch the sandwiches under the broiler; they go from golden to burnt very quickly.
  • For a croque madame, top each sandwich with a fried egg just before serving.

Substitutions and variations

  • Use Emmental or Comté instead of Gruyère.
  • Use turkey instead of ham.
  • Make it vegetarian with sautéed mushrooms in place of ham.

Storage and reheating

To store: Best eaten hot. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.

To reheat: Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes until hot throughout.

Recipe

Croque Monsieur

The classic French café sandwich: ham and Gruyère on bread, topped with creamy béchamel and more cheese, then baked and broiled until golden and bubbling.

Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Yield
4 sandwiches
Level
Intermediate

Ingredients

Tick off ingredients as you gather them.

Béchamel

Sandwiches

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Make the béchamel

    Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, whisking, for 3 to 4 minutes until thick. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2: Toast the bread

    Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the bread on the baking sheet and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until lightly golden.

  3. Step 3: Assemble

    Spread 4 slices thinly with mustard and a little béchamel. Top with the ham and half the Gruyère, then close with the remaining slices.

  4. Step 4: Top

    Spread the remaining béchamel over the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with the rest of the Gruyère.

  5. Step 5: Bake and broil

    Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until heated through, then broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until golden and bubbling. Serve hot.

Cuisine: French · Course: Lunch

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
480
Protein
28 g
Fat
25 g
Carbs
35 g
Fibre
1 g
Sugars
4 g

Approximate values estimated from typical nutrition data for the listed ingredients, excluding optional toppings and serving suggestions. Actual values vary with brands, portion sizes and substitutions. Not verified by a dietitian or laboratory analysis.

tastynestrecipes.com/recipes/croque-monsieur

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