Croque Monsieur
Indulge in the ultimate French café classic featuring toasted bread, savory ham, rich Gruyère cheese, and creamy béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
- •3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- •1.5 cups whole milk, warmed
- •0.25 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- •Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- •8 thick slices of white bread or brioche
- •2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- •8 thin slices of high-quality boiled ham
- •2 cups freshly grated Gruyère cheese, divided
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until lightly golden.
- 3
Gradually whisk in the warm milk, continuing to whisk constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer until the sauce thickens into a smooth béchamel.
- 4
Remove the béchamel from heat, stir in a quarter of the grated Gruyère cheese, grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper until the cheese melts completely.
- 5
Lay the bread slices flat on a work surface and spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on half of the slices.
- 6
Place two slices of ham on top of the mustard-coated bread, then sprinkle a generous handful of Gruyère cheese over the ham.
- 7
Top each with another slice of bread to form four sandwiches.
- 8
Arrange the sandwiches on the prepared baking sheet and generously spoon the remaining warm béchamel sauce over the top of each sandwich.
- 9
Sprinkle the remaining Gruyère cheese evenly over the top of the béchamel on each sandwich.
- 10
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, then switch the oven to broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese topping is bubbly, golden brown, and slightly charred in spots.
💡 Chef tips
- For extra crispiness, lightly toast the bread slices in a pan with a little butter before assembling the sandwiches.
- If you want to turn this into a Croque Madame, simply top each finished sandwich with a fried egg right before serving.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished Croque Monsieur should be piping hot with a bubbling, golden-brown cheese crust on top, oozing creamy béchamel and melted Gruyère inside alongside savory ham.