Croque Monsieur

There’re ham and cheese sandwiches and then there’s the French, Croque Monsier. Trust the French to take a humble sandwich to a whole new level!

The humble grilled cheese and ham in the French translation, is not content to remain so. A glorious sandwich experience is the result and C’est Parfait! The first upgrade involved is to replace the cheese; out with the cheddar and in with the Gourgere. #2 - Enrobe with a thick velvety bechamel sauce, spiked with nutmeg and #3 more Gruyere on top and gratineed under the boiler to a rich crispy brown. “Voila”! the crown of the Parisian cafe is yours at home. You can almost hear “La Vie en Rose” playing somewhere in the background at each bite. And at a fraction of the cost of an airline ticket to Paris.

Croque Monsieur

Bechamel Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 bay leaf

Dijon mustard

Sandwiches:

8 slices firm white sandwich bread

8 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham

8 ounces sliced Gruyère cheese

2 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

-Melt 3 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Add nutmeg and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until sauce thickens, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

-Preheat broiler. Place 4 bread slices on work surface. Top each with ham and sliced Gruyère. Top with remaining bread.  

-Heat heavy large skillet over low heat. Brush sandwiches with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Add to skillet and cook until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to small baking sheet. Spoon sauce, then grated cheese over sandwiches. Broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Serve hot. Makes 4 large sandwiches.

Layer ham and sliced gruyere cheese on thickly cut white bread and spread with mustard, just as you would for any ham and cheese sandwich.

Brush with butter and grill until golden on both sides.

Now add the magic - the bechamel sauce and more grated gruyere on top. Place under the broiler until browned and bubbly.

So rich and flavorful, you’ll be glad it takes several bites to eat it!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Bechamel sauce is one of the "mother sauces" of French cuisine. This sauce is traditionally made from a white roux and milk, with ground nutmeg added to enhance the flavor. A saucy ham and cheese sandwich becomes a whole new, elegant creature when they dine together!

**Use any flavorful ham you prefer, thinly sliced. I often use Black Forest Ham, but other freshly sliced deli hams work well.

**You can substitute other cheese for the Gruyere cheese and will no doubt create a delicious sandwich, but it won’t be authentic. No cafe of good repute in Paris would sink so low! However, If you would rather use Swiss or Ementaler Cheese, they approximates the correct flavor.

**A hearty, thickly-sliced white country bread works best for these sandwiches which need to have substance due to the added sauce. Texas toast bread would also work well for these.

**Be sure to serve Croque Monsieur as quickly as possible after removing from the oven so that the bread does not get soggy and the top still has a bit of crunch to it.