Classic Croque-Monsieur
The classic croque-monsieur is an elevated ham and cheese melt. Think melted gruyère cheese, thick slices of ham, crusty sourdough bread, a hint of dijon mustard, and all of it smothered with a velvety white béchamel sauce. Heavenly!
Ingredients
- Sourdough bread thickly sliced
- Good quality ham
- Gruyère shredded
- Butter
- Dijon or ancient-style mustard
- Béchamel
The Béchamel (makes 1.5 cups)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1.5 cups milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- pinch nutmeg
Instructions
The Béchamel
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour and stir it around, letting it cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk and stir continually, scraping along the inside rim to ensure there's no scorching.
- As the sauce heats up, season it with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
- Remove from heat once thickened.
The Croque-Monsieurs
- Make the béchamel.
- Set the oven to broil on high.
- Spread butter and mustard on the bottom slice.
- Add a layer of ham.
- Paint on a thin strip of béchamel over the ham.
- Sprinkle a bit of cheese over the béchamel to help the top slice stick.
- Cover up the sandwiches and spoon on béchamel over the top slice.
- Add a handful of cheese on top of the béchamel.
- Pop into the oven for a quick broil. Check frequently to make sure it doesn't burn!
Notes
Sandwiches are deeply personal. The quantity of meat, cheese, butter, mustard and béchamel you want on your classic croque-monsieur are entirely up to you. If you want to see the quantities I use for my own sandwiches, please watch my recipe video.
These can be made in advance. Just broil them when you're ready.
Adding an egg makes it a croque-madame, a breakfast classic.
