Croque Monsieur

Croque monsieur… Golden, bubbling and gooey cheese combines with smoky ham and tangy mustard to create a totally mouth-watering toasted sandwich. The béchamel adds creaminess and so much depth of flavour, don’t forget the nutmeg.

The humble cheese and ham toastie gets a complete make-over to become the most indulgent sandwich on the planet.

Save this recipe for a Sunday morning when you’ve got a little bit more time to do it properly and really savour the experience.

How to make this croque monsieur recipe:

Ingredients:

Make 2 sandwiches

• 4 thick slices bread (I like a white sourdough for this recipe)
• 170g grate Gruyère cheese
• 240g thick sliced ham
• 1tbsp dijon mustard
• 50g butter (plus a tsp for toasting the bread)
• 1tbsp flour
• 250ml whole milk
• 20g parmesan
• Dash of nutmeg
• Salt & black pepper

How to:

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Prepare a baking tray large enough for the 4 slices of bread, line with baking paper.
• Butter one side of each slice of bread and toast in the oven on your prepared baking tray for a few minutes until just turning golden, remove and set aside.
• Make béchamel – melt your butter in a pan over a medium heat until it starts to smell biscuity, add the flour and allow this to cook for a minute or 2. Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time stirring well. Add the parmesan, nutmeg and salt/pepper, stirring well until you have a delicious saucy béchamel.
• Spread a dollop of your béchamel on the non-toasted sides of bread (all 4x slices), then top each slice with grated cheese, ham and mustard.
• Sandwich together the pieces, making 2 full sandwiches.
• Layer a final dollop of béchamel and more gruyere on top of each sandwich.
• Place the sandwiches back on the lined baking tray, cheesey side up and toast for 10-12 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

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