About this Dish
A grilled ham and cheese sandwich, topped with bubbling béchamel sauce.
History & Origin
First appearing on a Parisian café menu in 1910, croque monsieur (and its egg-topped sibling, croque madame) remains a bistro lunch staple across France.
IngredientsServes 2
🍞White sandwich bread, 4 thick slices
🧀Gruyère cheese, 150g grated
🥩Cooked ham, 4 slices
🧈Unsalted butter, 40g
🌾Plain flour, 2 tablespoons
🥛Whole milk, 250ml
🧂Salt, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
🟡Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon
🟡Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon
Method
1
Make the béchamel by melting 30g of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg, then remove from the heat.2
Preheat your grill (broiler) to high. Lightly toast the bread slices under the grill on both sides until just golden.3
Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on one side of each slice of bread. Lay two slices mustard-side up, top each with two slices of ham, then sprinkle over half the grated Gruyère.4
Place the remaining bread slices on top mustard-side down to form two sandwiches. Spread a generous layer of béchamel sauce over the top of each sandwich, covering it right to the edges.5
Sprinkle the remaining Gruyère evenly over the béchamel-topped sandwiches. Place them on a baking tray and slide under the hot grill for 4–5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling, golden and slightly charred in spots.6
Serve immediately while hot and gooey, alongside a simple green salad if you like.User Reviews
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