Croque Monsieur

Name: Croque Monsieur
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 tbsp Salted Butter; 0.25 cup All Purpose Flour; 0.25 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste plus more; 0.25 tsp Ground Black Pepper, for sprinkling plus more; pinch Ground Nutmeg; 2 cup warm milk; 6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature; 12 slices hearty white sandwich bread; 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard; 0.75 lb ham, (at least 12 slices), sliced; 1 lb Gruyère Cheese, shredded divided; 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped for sprinkling

A croque monsieur is made with ham, gruyère cheese, and dijon mustard, and smothered with dreamy béchamel sauce. This French sandwich recipe is so indulgent!

Brooke1999

Prep10 min

Total10 min

Servings6

Difficultymedium

FrenchBreakfastBrunchLunchDinner / SupperEntrees

Ingredients

4 tbspSalted Butter
0.25 cupAll Purpose Flour
0.25 tspKosher Salt, to taste plus more
0.25 tspGround Black Pepper, for sprinkling plus more
pinchGround Nutmeg
2 cupwarm milk
6 tbspsalted butter, at room temperature
12slices hearty white sandwich bread
2 tbspDijon Mustard
0.75 lbham, (at least 12 slices), sliced
1 lbGruyère Cheese, shredded divided
1 tbspfresh chives, chopped for sprinkling

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2
For the béchamel sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and the foaming subsides. (Do not let it brown.) Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until well combined. Cook, whisking constantly, until the raw flour smell disappears, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly stream in the warm milk, whisking constantly until no lumps remain. Continue whisking over medium heat and occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan with a rubber spatula until the sauce thickens to a pudding-like texture, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface so it does not form a skin.
3
For the sandwiches: Evenly spread about 1/2 tablespoon of butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 6 slices, butter-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Evenly spread about 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard on each slice of bread on the baking sheet. Place 2 folded slices of ham on top of the mustard. Sprinkle the ham with about ½ cup (2 ounces) of the cheese. Spread about 1 tablespoon of béchamel sauce on the unbuttered side of the remaining 6 slices of bread. Place the bread, béchamel-side down, on top of the cheese.
4
Bake the sandwiches on the center rack of the oven until the bread is lightly golden and the cheese is starting to melt, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully flip the sandwiches. Bake the other side until lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and increase the oven temperature to broil.
5
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of béchamel sauce on each of the sandwiches, spreading to completely cover the top slice of bread. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons (½ ounce) of the remaining cheese on each sandwich, topping the béchamel.
6
Broil the sandwiches on the center rack of the oven, watching carefully and rotating the baking sheet as needed, until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 1 to 4 minutes.
7
Sprinkle the sandwiches with fresh chives and pepper, and serve hot.