Recipe: Croque Monsieur, The BEST Ham n Cheese Toastie

croque monsieur above recipe

Is this the best cheese and ham toastie in the world?

croque monsieur above recipeI think so. Forget about those bland, tasteless Croque monsieurs of your visit to Paris and whip up this delicious lunch.

The Croque monsieur is a baked or friend hand and cheese sandwich and you will find this all over France, but seems very popular in Paris as a tourist snack. A Croque madame is a version of the dish topped with a fried egg.

croque monsieur recipe

Recipe: Croque Monsieur, The BEST Ham n Cheese Toastie

Ingredients
  

  • 20 g butter at room temperature
  • 4 slices of bread I like crusty for a chew but whatever you like
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 100 ml milk
  • 80 g Gruyère grated
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg to grate
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 slices of ham
  • a shake of herbs de provence

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  • Place butter in a pan and melt.
  • Stir the flour into the butter to make a paste, cook for a minute, then gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until smooth.
  • Simmer for a few minutes, until thickened.
  • Take off the heat and stir in 30g cheese until melted.
  • Grate in nutmeg, stir.
  • Spread each slice of bread with mustard.
  • Spread each slice of bread with cheese sauce.
  • Take two of the bread slices.
  • Add ham.
  • Add half of remaining cheese, divide between each slice and place on top of ham.
  • Top with the rest of the bread, mustard/sauce side up.
  • Push down sandwich.
  • Add remaining cheese to the sandwiches.
  • Add herbs de provence, if required.
  • Place in oven.
  • Cook until golden brown.
  • Serve with gherkins, capers and munch.

Variants include:-
croque provençal (with tomato)
croque auvergnat (with bleu d’Auvergne cheese)
croque gagnet (with Gouda cheese and andouille sausage)
croque norvégien (with smoked salmon instead of ham)
croque tartiflette (with sliced potatoes and Reblochon cheese)
croque bolognese / croque Boum-Boum (with Bolognese sauce)
croque señor (with tomato salsa)
croque Hawaiian (with a slice of pineapple)

Emma

Emma

Hello!

I am Emma and with my husband Mark write Foodie Explorers, which is a food and travel website.

I am a member of the Guild of Food Writers and British Guild of Travel Writers.

We have a wide range of judging experience covering products, hotels and have judged, for example, for Great Taste Awards and Scottish Baker of the Year.

Along the way Mark gained WSET Level 2 in Wine and I have WSET Level 2 in Spirits as well as picking up an award with The Scotsman Food and Drink Awards.    

Usually I can be found sleeping beside a cat.

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