Le Croque-Monsieur

It will not surprise you to know that some of the best meals I’ve ever had were in Paris.  What may surprise you is that one of the best croque-monsieur I’ve ever had was at the Charles de Gaulle airport! (Amazing food is truly everywhere in France…).  The crisp bread, warm and flavourful melted cheese, and the creamy béchamel sauce really makes this sandwich a masterpiece!

When I came back from Paris I couldn’t stop thinking of this amazing sandwich and tried to prepare some at home.  I was surprise how easy the béchamel was to prepare (my first attempt!) and the amazing taste the sauce brought to the sandwich.

A croque-monsieur can be transformed into a croque-madame by toping the sandwich with a panfried egg.

So go on - spoil yourself with a nice warm croque-monsieur!

Croque Monsieur

Yields 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

§   2 tablespoons butter

§   2 tablespoons flour

§   1½ cups milk

§   A pinch each of salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, or more to taste

§   6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups grated)

§    ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (packed)

§   8 thick slices of bread

§   8 slices of ham

§   Dijon mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. 


First prepare the béchamel sauce:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium-low heat.

Once the butter starts to bubble, incorporate the flour.

Cook while stirring until smooth.  About 2 minutes.

Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and ¼ cup of the grated Gruyère.  

Cover the saucepan with a lid and set aside.

Spread a bit of butter on each slice of bread.

Lay out the slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for a couple of minutes (you simply want to firm up the bread, not brown the bread)

Lightly brush half the warm slices of bread with Dijon mustard.

Assemble the sandwich starting with the ham.

Sprinkle half of the Gruyère cheese on the meat.

Top with the other toasted bread slices.

Spoon the béchamel sauce to the tops of the sandwiches.

Add the remaining Gruyère cheese on top of the béchamel sauce.

Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese topping is bubbly and lightly browned.

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