A croque monsieur is one of those epic sandwiches that not only looks amazing but tastes even better. If you've not tried one before (why not!?) it's a sandwich filled with Dijon mustard, ham and a cheesy bechamel sauce.
Usually more of the cheesy bechamel sauce is added to the top and then the whole thing is grilled in the oven until golden and bubbling. It's utterly divine!
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Yields:
2 serving(s)
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
8 mins
Total Time:
13 mins
Cal/Serv:
67
Ingredients
40g
butter
40g
plain flour
175ml
whole milk
75g
Gruyère cheese, grated
8
slices of sourdough bread
4
large ham slices
Dijon mustard
Directions
Step 1Gently melt butter in a medium pan. Stir in flour and cook for 1min. Take off heat and gradually mix in milk until smooth. Return to heat, bring to the boil and cook, stirring, until very thick. Take off heat and stir in 50g of the cheese. Check seasoning and leave to cool for 15min.
Step 2Lay two slices of bread on a board and spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard, followed by a slice of ham on top of each. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mix over each slice, then top with another piece of bread. Spread the remaining cheese mix over the top and sprinkle with extra grated Gruyere if you like.
Step 3Preheat grill to medium. Arrange sandwich pieces on a baking tray and grill for 5-8 min until lightly golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To make a croque madame, just add a fried egg on top of your grilled croque monsieur!
You can add any cheese you like to your bechamel sauce.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
