The perfect lunch or dinner, this Croque Monsieur Recipe is a tasty sandwich with béchamel sauce, ham, cheese, and more. A hearty meal that you will want to make over and over again.
I first started making Croque Monsieur’s when I was in culinary school, they soon became one of my favorite sandwiches after that day.
I had tried them before that but never really gave true appreciation to the flavor and the depth of the recipe until I started making it on my own.
This is one recipe that you DO NOT need to be intimidated by just because it has a fancy name and sounds intimidating, it really is such an easy recipe to make.
With a tasty béchamel sauce and other simple ingredients, you can have this Croque Monsieur Recipe on your table in no time, and you will fall in love.
Between the sauce, cheese, and ham, it really is one tasty and hearty sandwich that you will not want to put down, it is always requested here, and I make it more times than not.
You can wow your guests with something that seems fancy but truly is a simple recipe without them even knowing. Trust me, this recipe is worth making.
Some of my other favorite sandwich recipes that we have on our site include: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Mustard Grilled Chicken Sandwiches and French Dip Sliders.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easier than they seem!
- Can double to make more.
- Great for both lunch and dinner.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Salted butter
All-purpose flour
Milk
Heavy cream
Dijon mustard
Pepper
Ground nutmeg
White bread
Smoked deli ham
Gruyere cheese
Grated parmesan cheese
HOW TO MAKE A CROQUE MONSIEUR RECIPE:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, set aside.
- Make the bechamel first. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly stream in the milk while constantly whisking to avoid lumps. Repeat with the heavy cream, the mixture should be smooth.
- Add the dijon, pepper, and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and spreadable, not runny at all, up to 5 minutes. Take off the heat.
- Place the bread slices on the prepared sheet tray.
- Toast in the oven for 2 minutes, flip the bread pieces over, and toast for another 2 minutes.
- Smear half of the sauce over 4 slices of the bread.
- Top with the ham and spread the dijon on top of the ham. Add half of the gruyere followed by half of the parmesan cheese.
- Place the remaining bread slices on top.
- Smear the top with the remaining sauce. Add the rest of the Gruyere, followed by the parmesan.
- Bake for 10 minutes until melty. Put the broiler on high and broil until the cheese on top is golden brown, or until your desired toastiness. Serve immediately.
WHAT IS BEST TO SERVE WITH THIS SANDWICH?
Since the sandwich itself is on the heavier side, I would go with something lighter like a salad, potato salad, or coleslaw.
You can also just eat this alone, it really is a meal in itself. There is no need to have a side for this recipe at all!
DO I HAVE TO USE SMOKED HAM?
A basic smoked ham is our go-to for this recipe as we feel that it compliments the sandwich nicely. If you are not a fan, maple ham, honey ham, and tavern ham work just as well.
CAN I USE ANOTHER BREAD?
While this sandwich is heavy, you do not want to make it any larger or heavier with a piece of thick bread, it will make a gigantic sandwich.
We like to use regular white sandwich bread, but you can switch it up and use brioche, sourdough, wheat, and more. Just make sure that you slice it thinner.
HOW TO STORE:
This can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container where it will keep for up to 3 days, the bread may become slightly soggy, though. We do not suggest freezing this sandwich.
To reheat, place on a pan uncovered in the oven until heated through, do not microwave.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Use other breads, some suggestions are included above.
- This is a heavy sandwich, so its best to serve it with something lighter.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- Tavern, maple or honey ham can also be used.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- If you are not a fan of nutmeg in the sauce, you can leave it out.
Love a good sandwich that contains various layers of deliciousness? Then you absolutely have to make my Croque Monsieur Recipe, you will not regret it.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this CROQUE MONSIEUR RECIPE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Croque Monsieur Recipe
Ingredients
For the bechamel:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
For the sandwiches:
- 8 slices white bread
- 4 ounces smoked deli ham thinly sliced
- 8 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, set aside.
- Make the bechamel first. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly stream in the milk while constantly whisking to avoid lumps. Repeat with the heavy cream, the mixture should be smooth.
- Add the dijon, pepper, and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and spreadable, not runny at all, up to 5 minutes. Take off the heat.
- Place the bread slices on the prepared sheet tray.
- Toast in the oven for 2 minutes, flip the bread pieces over, and toast for another 2 minutes.
- Smear half of the sauce over 4 slices of the bread.
- Top with the ham and spread the dijon on top of the ham. Add half of the gruyere followed by half of the parmesan cheese.
- Place the remaining bread slices on top.
- Smear the top with the remaining sauce. Add the rest of the Gruyere, followed by the parmesan.
- Bake for 10 minutes until melty. Put the broiler on high and broil until the cheese on top is golden brown, or until your desired toastiness. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Use other breads, some suggestions are included above.
- This is a heavy sandwich, so its best to serve it with something lighter.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- Tavern, maple or honey ham can also be used.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- If you are not a fan of nutmeg in the sauce, you can leave it out.
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