The Croque Monsieur is a classic of French cuisine, adored for its simplicity and delicious taste. This warm and comforting sandwich stands out for its ease of preparation and perfect blend of textures and flavours.
Made up of crisp, golden slices of bread, traditionally topped with béchamel sauce, it features a tasty filling of ham and melted cheese.
Croque monsieur with ham, cheese and bechamel sauce in the oven
Who hasn’t tasted a croque monsieur at home or in a bistro? I don’t think anyone, because it’s one of the easiest and most delicious sandwiches to make. Whether in summer or winter, it’s perfect as a quick dinner idea.
It combines crispiness with the softness of melted cheese and the flavour of ham. Traditionally, toast is spread with bechamel sauce for extra creaminess.
It’s easier to prepare than hamburger if the buns are homemade, but just as convenient for a quick meal, a picnic or a lunch box to take to work.
Its variant is the croque madame, which is distinguished by the addition of a fried egg on top.
Ingredients for making croque-monsieur
Table of Contents
Bread: Use plain homemade or store-bought soft bread. You can also use sliced wholemeal or farmhouse bread. If you are gluten intolerant, usegluten-free sandwich bread which will be perfect.
Ham: This is an essential part of the recipe. Choose a good white ham, plain or smoked, if like me you find that the smoky taste makes the croque monsieur even more delicious. There’s also a pepper version that’s just as tasty. A good chicken or turkey ham is perfect for a halal croque monsieur.
Cheese: Choose Gruyère, Comté or Emmental. You can use it grated for the inside and top of the sandwich, or use slices on the inside and grated on top. You can of course use toastinette, cheddar, raclette, etc., depending on your taste and budget. Vary the ingredients to enjoy and taste the different flavours.
Bechamel: Gives the croque monsieur all the creaminess and softness it needs. We tend to prepare crocs monsieur with just cheese, but I assure you that the bechamel sauce adds so much deliciousness that it would be a shame to do without it. What’s more, it’s quick and easy to prepare.
Dijon mustard: Not obligatory, but often spread on bread slices to enhance the taste of other ingredients.
Preparation steps
| NB: Find the quantity of ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the article, which you can print out. Below are the instructions, which you can also view in images. |
Bechamel sauce :
For me, it remains an essential ingredient for an ultra-soft croque monsieur, creamy and tasty.
1. Prepare the white roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan and, off the heat, pour in the sifted flour. Use a whisk, preferably silicone, to avoid scratching the pan. Mix well to smooth the breadcrumbs.
2. Dilute with milk: Always, off the heat, add a little cold milk and whisk to dilute. Add a little more milk and whisk to smooth and liquefy.
3. Thicken: Stir in remaining milk and return to medium heat to thicken. The mixture should be smooth and lump-free. If not, strain the mixture through a sieve.
4. Whisk continuously to prevent the béchamel sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
Preparing the bechamel sauce
5. It will gradually thicken. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. When it starts to bubble, it will have thickened considerably. Remove from heat when smooth and creamy. It will thicken further as it cools.
6. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. You can film it on contact and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the sandwiches:
1. Melt a little butter and leave to cool.
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the slices of bread on top. If you are going to pan-fry them, use a clean work surface.
2. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the top of each slice of sandwich bread with melted butter.
3. Spread generously with bechamel sauce. Let the cheese overflow a little for a slobbery look after cooking. If you don’t like it, spread the bechamel without overflowing.
4. Place a slice of cheese on top, or a slice and a half to cover the entire surface.
5. Place one or 2 slices of ham on top. You can add a 2nd slice of cheese on top of the ham if you wish. Close each sandwich with a slice of sandwich bread.
6. Coat with melted butter.
Croque monsieur assembly
Pan-frying :
or in a croque monsieur maker
1. In a non-stick frying pan, melt a little butter over medium heat.
2. Brown the croque-monsieur on both sides until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
3. Serve immediately.
For cooking in the maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Oven cooking :
For a more gratiné version
Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F).
1. Spread bechamel sauce over the top of each croque monsieur and sprinkle with cheese, in this case Gruyère.
2. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.
3. You can then put them on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes to brown the cheese.
Serve and enjoy :
Serve immediately with a few salad leaves drizzled with vinaigrette and fries if you want to enjoy your croque monsieur like in a traditional bistro.
You can use a fork and knife or enjoy it by hand. It’s up to you.
Can the croque-monsieur be prepared in advance?
The croque monsieur can be prepared in advance without baking. Once you’ve finished preparing them, film the tray containing them and leave it in the fridge for up to 25 minutes before dinner.
Once assembled, they can be wrapped in plastic film or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few hours or even overnight.
Simply place them in the preheated oven to bake au gratin. In the meantime, prepare the side dishes: a small salad on its own or French fries for a complete meal.
Croque monsieur ham and cheese before baking
The advantage of baking croques Monsieur
1. The advantage of oven baking is that you can cook several sandwiches at the same time. This is ideal when you want to prepare a large number for a meal for several people.
2. Cooking takes less time than in a frying pan or croque monsieur. You won’t have to bake them one by one and keep an eye on them.
3. You can prepare the side dish during baking.
4. The result is even, crispy sandwiches, golden brown toast and perfectly melted, runny cheese. The croques monsieur will be perfectly gratinated.
5. You won’t have to clean the pan or the croque monsieur maker. The baking tray is covered with parchment paper. This way, the baking sheet will stay clean.
Classic Croque Monsieur Recipe (French ham cheese sandwich)
Ingredients :
- Bechamel:
- 500 ml milk (16.9 oz)
- 40 g flour (1.4 oz)
- 40 g butter (1.4 oz)
- Salt and pepper
- A pinch of grated nutmeg optional
Sandwiches:
- 12 slices of bread
- 200 g white ham 6 large slices or 9 small slices (7 oz)
- 150 g grated Gruyère cheese (5.3 oz)
- 90 g butter optional (3.2 oz)
- 9 slices of hamburger or croque monsieur cheese Emmental or Comté (1.5 slices per sandwich) (3.2 oz)
- Mustard optional
Instructions :
Bechamel sauce :
- For me, it remains an essential ingredient for an ultra-soft croque monsieur, creamy and tasty.
- Prepare the white roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan and, off the heat, pour in the sifted flour. Use a whisk, preferably silicone, to avoid scratching the pan. Mix well to smooth the breadcrumbs.
- Dilute with milk: Always, off the heat, add a little cold milk and whisk to dilute. Add a little more milk and whisk to smooth and liquefy.
- Thicken: Stir in remaining milk and return to medium heat to thicken. The mixture should be smooth and lump-free. If not, strain the mixture through a sieve.
- Whisk continuously to prevent the béchamel sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
Preparing the bechamel sauce
- It will gradually thicken. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. When it starts to bubble, it will have thickened considerably. Remove from heat when smooth and creamy. It will thicken further as it cools.
- Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. You can film it on contact and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the sandwiches:
- Melt a little butter and leave to cool.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the slices of bread on top. If you are going to pan-fry them, use a clean work surface.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the top of each slice of sandwich bread with melted butter.
- Spread generously with bechamel sauce. Let the cheese overflow a little for a slobbery look after cooking. If you don't like it, spread the bechamel without overflowing.
- Place a slice of cheese on top, or a slice and a half to cover the entire surface.
- Place one or 2 slices of ham on top. You can add a 2nd slice of cheese on top of the ham if you wish. Close each sandwich with a slice of sandwich bread.
- Coat with melted butter.
Croque monsieur assembly
Pan-frying :
- or in a croque monsieur maker
- In a non-stick frying pan, melt a little butter over medium heat.
- Brown the croque-monsieur on both sides until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately.
- For cooking in the maker, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Oven cooking :
- For a more gratiné version
- Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F).
- Spread bechamel sauce over the top of each croque monsieur and sprinkle with cheese, in this case Gruyère.
- Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.
- You can then put them on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes to brown the cheese.
Serve and enjoy :
- Serve immediately with a few salad leaves drizzled with vinaigrette and fries if you want to enjoy your croque monsieur like in a traditional bistro.
- You can use a fork and knife or enjoy it by hand. It's up to you.
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