Croque Monsieur Sandwich - ultimate hot ham and cheese!
A CroqueMonsieur Sandwich is a hot ham and cheese sandwich done with a French flair! Ham, cheese and a smear of Dijon mustard on sliced sourdough bread is smothered with a Béchamel sauce and toasted in the oven until it's oozing.
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
Bechamel Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg use freshly grated for maximum flavor or in a pinch use ground nutmeg
Croque Monsieur Sandwich
- 4 slices sourdough bread or any crusty bread
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- Dijon mustard
- 4 ounces Emmenthal Gouda or Monterey Jack cheese or a mixture (about 1 ⅓ cups), grated
- 4 ounces deli ham or prosciutto
- ½ cup béchamel sauce ,spreadable
Garnish:
- Pinch fresh thyme ,chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives ,snipped
Instructions
Make the Bechamel Sauce
- First, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until combined, stirring constantly. Slowly add half-and-half, whisking thoroughly to prevent lumps. Cook 5 minutes until thickened and smooth, we want this to be spreadable as it is going to be used in place of butter on the top slice of bread.
- Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Let cool.
Assemble Sandwiches:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Brush 1 side of 2 slices of bread with melted butter. Place 2 slices of bread, buttered side down, on prepared sheet. Now spread them lightly with mustard.
- Sprinkle each slice of bread with half the grated cheese. Top each of the slices of cheese-covered bread with ham and cover each evenly with more grated cheese, reserving 2 Tablespoons cheese for the top.
- Place remaining 2 bread slices on top and press down gently. Spread béchamel on the top slice, about 3 or 4 Tablespoons. Sprinkle reserved cheese over béchamel.
- Bake sandwiches until golden brown on top, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cut in half diagonally or vertically to make smaller sandwiches. Sprinkle with thyme and chives and serve immediately.
Notes
Notes:
• Make the béchamel ahead of time. The béchamel can be made one day in advance to cut down on prep. Cool and place plastic wrap directly onto surface, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To Serve: If you are not a fan of crusts, go ahead and cut off the crusts. You can also cut into bite-size pieces.
• Make the béchamel ahead of time. The béchamel can be made one day in advance to cut down on prep. Cool and place plastic wrap directly onto surface, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• To Serve: If you are not a fan of crusts, go ahead and cut off the crusts. You can also cut into bite-size pieces.