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Croque Monsieur

Source of Recipe

"Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"Made from simple ingredients commonly found in any French home, a croque monsieur is a Frenchified grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich. The name is based on the verb croquer ("to crunch") and the word monsieur ("mister"), but according to my French brother-in-law, Guillaume, it just means 'the best grilled cheese ever.' The sandwich is filled and topped with a mustard-flavored béchamel sauce, which makes it tangy, rich, and deliciously salty. Pair it with an ice-cold beer or a crisp white wine. A green salad goes nicely, too. And if you add a fried egg on top, it becomes a croque madame!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 ½ cups whole milk
â—¦ 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ Scant ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ Pinch of ground nutmeg
â—¦ 12 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty Italian or French sandwich bread
â—¦ 10 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425° F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture foams and subsides, about 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, a few minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, add ½ cup of the Gruyère and stir until melted. Add the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Set aside. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Meanwhile, toast the bread. Place the bread slices on two 13 x 18-inch baking sheets and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once, until lightly golden.

Move an oven rack to the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Arrange half of the toasted bread on the baking sheet. Spoon half the cheese sauce over the bread. Arrange the ham slices over the sauce and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyère. Top with the remaining bread. Spoon the remaining sauce over the bread, letting it drip down the sides of each sandwich, and sprinkle the remaining Gruyère over the top. Bake until bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the sandwiches to plates; serve with forks and knives.

Serves 6