Croque Monsieur
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In this classic French Croque Monsieur, melted Gruyere and savory black forest ham are smothered with silky white bechamel sauce, a touch of Dijon, and then finished with just a sprinkle of Herbes de Provence to make this incredibly delicious indulgent hot sandwich! It’s classy, but easy to make and pairs perfectly with a green salad or cup of soup!
What Is A Croque Monsieur?
This French classic is basically a super fancy grilled ham and cheese sandwich that dates back to the early 1900s! But Croque Monsieur just like my Ham and Cheese Sliders is no ordinary hot ham and cheese. With the addition of velvety bechamel, a bit of Dijon, and dried herbs, it’s a unique and refined sandwich that is baked in the oven until it’s perfectly golden on top and oozing white sauce and cheese.
Yet, while it may be fancy, Croque Monsieur is actually quite easy to make and only requires simple ingredients. It’s the kind of sandwich you can serve to impress your guests or treat yourself to something special without much effort. I like to serve it with a simple salad like a Caesar or a cup of soup like Roasted Tomato Soup or Potato Leek Soup.
Why We Love This Croque Monsieur Recipe
- Rich Refined French Flavors! Cured ham, salty cheese, smooth white sauce, Dijon with a hint of wine, and herbs! All classic French flavors that come together to create this extraordinarily yummy hot sandwich!
- Easy Elegant Sandwich! This simple recipe produces a mini-masterpiece on a plate in under 20 minutes! It’s classy enough to serve a King but easy enough to feed your favorite people something special in just a matter of minutes.
- Impressive Brunch or Lunch! Croque Monsieur is a perfect choice if you want to bring a little wow factor to your next gathering, but keep it simple.
Bechamel
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter unless a recipe calls for salted. Doing so helps to control the level of sodium. If you don’t have any unsalted butter on hand, just use salted butter and omit the added salt in the sauce.
- Flour – Simple all-purpose flour is all you need to make a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Milk – Any type of milk will work, but I typically use whole milk or 2% milk when making bechamel.
- Nutmeg – A dash will add both warmth and spice to this simple white cream sauce.
- Salt – No savory recipe would be complete without a bit of salt to bring out all the flavors.
- White Pepper – Adds a layer of flavor while keeping the sauce a beautiful white color.
Sandwich
- White Bread – Thick sliced bread works best for Croque Monsieur to maintain the structure of the sandwich.
- Dijon Mustard – This type of mustard has a bit of white wine in it which adds depth to the sandwich.
- Black Forest Ham – Thinly sliced black forest ham works best, but any type of sliced ham can be used.
- Gruyere Cheese – Adds a salty nutty flavor and when melted a beautiful creamy texture that goes perfectly with the bechamel. Emmental cheese or Swiss cheese are good substitutes if you can’t find Gruyere.
- Herbes de Provence – It’s typically a combination of dried thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf, and adds an aromatic layer of flavor to the Croque Monsieur. But if you don’t have any Herbes de Provence on hand you can use a combination of these spices to create your own.
This 2 part recipe is not as complicated to make as fancy as it may sound. The béchamel sauce is actually quite easy to make. It’s basically a simple milk-based sauce that is thickened with a roux, which is essentially just a combination of melted butter and flour. And once you’ve got your bechamel made, all you have to do is build the Croque Monsieur sandwich and pop it into the oven. Easy peasy!
Preheat
- Before you begin. You need to preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Make The Bechamel
- Make a roux. First, melt the unsalted butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Then whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture has thickened but is still very pale in color. It’s important not to cook the roux for too long or it will begin to darken in color.
- Add the milk and seasonings. While continually whisking, pour in the warm scalded milk, nutmeg, and salt. Then continue to cook the mixture for another 5 minutes while whisking often to both avoid lumps and to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. You can also turn the heat down if necessary and just cook it a tad longer if needed. You will know that the bechamel is done when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Add salt to taste. After the bechamel is made, taste it for salt and season to your liking. You may find that you don’t need any additional salt. This is completely a personal preference.
Make The Sandwich
- Toast the bread. Lightly toast your bread slices. This step is optional, but I find it gives the sandwich a nicer crunch.
- Spread the bechamel and Dijon. Spread 4 of the toasted bread slices with a layer of bechamel sauce all the way to the edges to cover the entire slice. Then spread each of the other 4 slices of toasted bread with about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Now, place the 4 slices with bechamel on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add the cheese and ham. Top each slice of bread with the bechamel sauce on the baking sheet with a handful of shredded gruyere, 3 slices of black forest ham, and then another handful of the Gruyere. Then place the other 4 slices of bread spread with Dijon on top of the 4 slices now topped with ham and cheese mustard side down.
- Add more bechamel, cheese, and herbs. Top each assembled sandwich on the baking sheet with 2 to 3 more tablespoons of bechamel sauce and another handful of shredded cheese. Then to finish, sprinkle each sandwich with some Herbes de Provence.
- Bake the sandwiches. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the sandwiches for 5 to 7 minutes. Then turn the oven on to broil, and broil them for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is lightly golden brown in color.
What Is A Croque Madame?
If you’ve heard of Croque Monsieur you’ve probably also heard of Croque Madame! Croque Madame is just a Croque Monsieur with a fried sunny side up egg on top. Another reason I love this sandwich so much, add a fried egg on it and you’ve got a completely different sandwich.
Can I Pan Fry Croque Monsieur?
Yes, you can, but you’ll need to adjust the steps a bit. Basically, you’ll assemble the sandwiches exactly the same except the bread does not need to be lightly toasted ahead of time and will be spread with butter on the outer sides. Also, the sandwiches will not be topped with bechamel, but the cheese will be added on top of the buttered side of the bread. Slices of cheese tend to work better in this case. Then the sandwiches will be grilled in a hot pan like grilled cheese at a low temperature until the cheese on the outer buttered side of the bread begins to melt and brown. Then once the sandwich is done being grilled and on its serving plate, it’s topped with more bechamel and Herbes de Provence to serve.
Can I Use Other Types Of Meat And Cheese?
Yes! Feel free to use turkey ham, turkey, chicken, or any meat you like. Also, Emmental cheese is the best substitution for Gruyere, but any type of cheese will work. This recipe for Croque Monsieur is the classic version, but you can be as creative as you like.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the roux. When making the bechamel it’s important to whisk the ingredients well and only cook the butter and flour together for about 2 to 3 minutes once it’s thickened. Too much longer and it will begin to brown, which will affect the flavor of the sauce.
- Use scalded milk. For the best results follow the instructions and scald the milk. Bechamel will not turn out as well if you use cold milk.
- Be generous with the bechamel and cheese. Don’t be afraid to add plenty of cheese and white sauce to the Croque Monsieur. These are 2 of the most important elements of the sandwich that make it so good.
- Use a timer. You need to watch the sandwiches closely both while in the oven and especially under the broiler so they don’t burn. The easiest way to do this is by using a timer.
Leftovers
You can store leftover Croque Monsieur in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months! To reheat, put the sandwiches on a baking sheet and then put them in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. If frozen, they will need to bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Other Delicious Sandwich Recipes To Try
- Club Sandwich
- Reuben Sandwich
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Italian Sub Sandwich
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Hawaiian Ham And Cheese Stromboli
- Steak Sandwich
- Monte Cristo Sandwich
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Croque Monsieur
Ingredients
Bechamel
- 3 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk (scalded)
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Sandwich
- 8 slices white bread (thick sliced)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 12 slices black forest ham (thinly sliced)
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Before you begin. You need to preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bechamel
- Make a roux. First, melt the unsalted butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Then whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture has thickened but is still very pale in color. It’s important not to cook the roux for too long or it will begin to darken in color.
- Add the milk and seasonings. While continually whisking, pour in the warm scalded milk, nutmeg, and salt. Then continue to cook the mixture for another 5 minutes while whisking often to both avoid lumps and to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. You can also turn the heat down if necessary and just cook it a tad longer if needed. You will know that the bechamel is done when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Add salt to taste. After the bechamel is made, taste it for salt and season to your liking. You may find that you don’t need any additional salt. This is completely a personal preference.
Sandwich
- Toast the bread. Lightly toast your bread slices. This step is optional, but I find it gives the sandwich a nicer crunch.
- Spread the bechamel and Dijon. Spread 4 of the toasted bread slices with a layer of bechamel sauce all the way to the edges to cover the entire slice. Then spread each of the other 4 slices of toasted bread with about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Now, place the 4 slices with bechamel on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add the cheese and ham. Top each slice of bread with the bechamel sauce on the baking sheet with a handful of shredded gruyere, 3 slices of black forest ham, and then another handful of the Gruyere. Then place the other 4 slices of bread spread with Dijon on top of the 4 slices now topped with ham and cheese mustard side down.
- Add more bechamel, cheese, and herbs. Top each assembled sandwich on the baking sheet with 2 to 3 more tablespoons of bechamel sauce and another handful of shredded cheese. Then to finish, sprinkle each sandwich with some Herbes de Provence.
- Bake the sandwiches. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the sandwiches for 5 to 7 minutes. Then turn the oven on to broil, and broil them for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is lightly golden brown in color.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the roux. When making the bechamel it’s important to whisk the ingredients well and only cook the butter and flour together for about 2 to 3 minutes once it’s thickened. Too much longer and it will begin to brown, which will affect the flavor of the sauce.
- Use scalded milk. For the best results follow the instructions and scald the milk. Bechamel will not turn out as well if you use cold milk.
- Be generous with the bechamel and cheese. Don’t be afraid to add plenty of cheese and white sauce to the Croque Monsieur. These are 2 of the most important elements of the sandwich that make it so good.
- Use a timer. You need to watch the sandwiches closely both while in the oven and especially under the broiler so they don’t burn. The easiest way to do this is by using a timer.
- You can store leftover Croque Monsieur in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months! To reheat, put the sandwiches on a baking sheet and then put them in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. If frozen, they will need to bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
