Croque Monsieur
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
French word “croque” is based on the verb “croquer”, which means to bite or to crunch. The name croque monsieur translate to “mister crunch”. Croque Monsieur is a delicious French ham and cheese sandwich, made with gruyere, parmesan, ham and a simple béchamel sauce, toasted in the oven.
Ingredients
Scale
For the béchamel sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups whole milk, heated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Sandwich:
- 8 slices of white sandwich bread
- 8 slices of unsmoked ham
- Gruyere cheese rouoghly 6 oz
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmasan cheese
- Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
For The Béchamel sauce:
- Warm the milk on low heat until little bubbles form at the edges; remove from heat.
- Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 1¼ cups whole milk, heated, whisking to incorporate. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly, as sauce thickens. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Reduce to low heat, and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
To build the Sandwiches:
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking tray with parchement paper and set aside.
- Spread dijon mustard on first (optional) then carefully spread one side of each bread slice with a layer of béchamel, ensuring it is spread to the edges. Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on prepared baking sheet.
- Add a slice of ham, a slice or handfull of gruyere cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese onto the 4 slices of bread. Place remaining slices of bread on top, béchamel side up, then add remaining gruyere and parmesan cheese to the top.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted, then broil until the cheese on top is lightly golden, 3 minutes.
Notes
**To prepare the béchamel ahead of time: To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a layer of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
