The best classic ham and cheese sandwich topped with the ultimate homemade béchamel sauce. This is great for lunch or even dinner. So, are you ready to learn how to make the best Croque Monsieur recipe? Join me in the Bistro kitchen!
What Is A Croque Monsieur?
The answer is the fancy French version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. It contains boiled ham, bechamel sauce, and lots of cheese.
The Croque Monsieur sandwich was first made in Paris and it used toasted bread as the base.
Croque Monsieur is French for “mister crunch” because you make this recipe with toasted bread. You can bake your croque in the oven or fry it in a skillet.
To get the best result we will bake this sandwich in the oven because the béchamel sauce needs to grill and the cheese as well.
Croque Monsieur Varieties
France is not the only country that has its own version of the croque monsieur. You can find the following variations:
- Tosti – the Dutch version made with toasted bread, ham, and cheese
- Toastie – in the English version and called toastie
- Monte Cristo – the American version of a toastie. A grilled sandwich made with turkey, ham, and cheese. Toast – Greece or Italian version of the croque
- Spanish toastie – a toastie with Sobrassada meat instead of ham
Croque Monsieur Ingredients
If you want to make this recipe you only need about a handful of ingredients. It is that easy.
Put the following on your list:
- Rustic white bread
- Gammon ham
- Gruyere cheese
- Bechamel sauce
- Mustard
Bechamel sauce ingredients:
- Flour
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- Emmenthaler cheese or Gruyere cheese
How To Make Croque Monsieur
To make this recipe start with four slices of bread. Preheat the broiler and put the bread on a baking tray.
Grill the slices under the grill for 5 minutes on one side only. In the meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce.
Take the baking sheet with the grilled bread out of the oven. Spread all 4 slices of bread with mustard.
Divide the béchamel sauce onto the slices of bread on top of the mustard. Then put a slice of gammon ham on the béchamel and sprinkle grated cheese on all 4 slices.
Now put the baking tray back under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Take the baking sheet out of the oven and stack two slices on top of each other. Decorate with some fresh chopped parsley or chives and serve your Croque Monsieur.
Make-Ahead Croque Sandwich
Can you make a Croque Monsieur sandwich ahead of time? You can make this recipe one day in advance.
Do not bake the sandwich yet. Cover the bread with some foil and store it in the fridge. Bake when you are ready to eat.
How To Reheat This French Sandwich
If you have baked the sandwich and have some leftovers preheat the grill and put the sandwiches under the grill for a couple of minutes.
Other Sandwich Recipes
If you like this sandwich recipe you will love these recipes as well:
- Chicken club sandwich – made with white bread, tomato, and egg and turn it into a club sandwich
- Cubanos sandwich – made with small baguettes and loads of ham and cheese
- Egg salad sandwich – egg salad served on a white baguette
- Instant Pot pulled pork sandwich – if you love pork try this sandwich with juicy soft pulled pork
Have fun making this Croque Monsieur recipe!
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Croque Monsieur
This Croque Monsieur recipe is a classic must-have for your bistro menu. It is super easy to make and on the table in no time.
Ingredients
- 4 slices rustic white bread
- 4 slices gammon
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 6 tablespoons Bechamel sauce
Instructions
- Put 4 slices of bread on a baking tray and grill the slices of bread under the grill for 5 minutes on one side
- Make the bechamel sauce
- Take the tray out of the oven and spread mustard on all 4 slices.
- Divide the bechamel on the toasted side of the bread. Put a slice of ham on top of the bechamel
- Grate cheese on the slices of bread. Put the baking tray back in the oven again under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling takes about 5 minutes
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and stack two slices on top of each other
- Sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley or chives on top and you are ready to serve
Notes
For the Bechamel sauce you need:
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup grated Emmenthaler or Gruyere cheese
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 930mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 27g
Please note: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.