Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur

Name: Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: white bread slices — 4 pcs; Dijon mustard — 2 tsp; ham — 80 g; Gruyere or Emmental cheese (see notes) — 120 g; eggs — 2 pcs; butter — 20 g; all-purpose flour — 20 g; milk — 250 g; pinch of ground nutmeg (optional); salt by taste

40 minutes

Medium

I share with you a great recipe for a weekend breakfast. These are two classic French sandwiches - Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame. Both have a white bread base filled with cheese, béchamel sauce, and ham. Both are deep-fried and then baked. The only difference is that the Croque Madame is topped with a fried egg with a runny yolk, while the Croque Monsieur is simply topped with melted cheese.

It's delicious and hearty. And totally achievable in a home kitchen. Of course, such a breakfast takes more time to prepare than just scrambled eggs. But at least once, it is worth having a classic French breakfast with a cup of aromatic coffee.

Breakfast

27.03.2025

Ingredients for 2 servings:

Base

white bread slices

4 pcs
Dijon mustard

2 tsp
ham

80 g
Gruyere or Emmental cheese (see notes)

120 g
eggs

2 pcs

Béchamel Sauce

Recipe:

Source: https://flavorit.com/recipe/croque-madame-and-croque-monsieur/

Ingredient notes:

Bread. You can use any white bread for these sandwiches: either toast or loaf. I have a homemade sourdough loaf this time.
Cheese. Gruyere or Emmental are the classic cheeses for these sandwiches. But if you cannot buy them, just use any semi-hard cheese you have that you like the taste of. Even cheddar.
Mustard. It’s up to you what kind of mustard to use. I prefer the traditional Dijon mustard. If you do not like mustard at all, just leave it out. But trust me, the flavor will be brighter and more interesting with it.

Let’s start cooking.

Make the béchamel sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan.

Stir in the flour and add the nutmeg.

Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.

Then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps (I usually use a whisk).

Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.

Remove from heat, season with salt, stir and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.

Slice the ham. Grate the cheese.

Assemble the sandwiches.

Spread the bread with mustard.

Then generously spread the béchamel.

Sprinkle with half of the cheese.

Top with the ham and sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese.

Spread the top slice of bread with béchamel.

Place on top of the second slice, sauce side down.

Heat a frying pan greased with butter or vegetable oil over medium heat. Toast the sandwiches until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Press down with a spatula; my pan allows me to press down with a lid.

Transfer the toasted sandwiches to a baking sheet and brush with béchamel. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F). The ideal mode is “Grill” or “Top with Convection”. If these options are not available, simply use the “Top + Bottom + Convection” mode. Bake until the cheese on top is lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes.

If you’re making croque madame, fry the egg in the meantime.

Serve hot.