Recipe: The Ultimate Croque Monsieur

Posted on 12 July, 2018

A step-by-step guide on how to make THE ultimate Croque Monsieur. Shaved ham, tangy béchamel and enough gruyere to sink a ship!

Ingredients

Makes 2

For the béchamel

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 20g butter
• 20g flour
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• Fresh nutmeg
• Sea salt & pepper

For the croque monsieur

• 4 pieces white bread
• Butter
• Whole egg mayo
• 100g gruyere, grated
• Handful shaved leg ham

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. To make the béchamel: In a medium saucepan, add the milk, cream, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer then take off the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain, set aside.

3. In the saucepan, melt the butter until golden, then add the flour and whisk until it starts to go nutty. Add the milk mixture slowly and keep whisking until well combined. Simmer on a low heat until thickened. Stir through dijon, nutmeg, sea salt & pepper.

4. To make the croque monsieur: lightly toast each piece of bread, lather both sides generously with butter. Spread one side with a thin layer of mayo, followed by a layer of béchamel, then a layer of grated gruyere. Top with shaved ham & pop the other bread slice on top. On the top of each sandwich, spread over a thin layer of béchamel and top with some more gruyere. Pop into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Eat immediately.

Bon appétit!

For more recipes, check out Canberra-based food and recipe blog, The Macadames. 

Don’t forget to hashtag #cookwiththemacadames when making my recipes. I love to see how you went and get a peek at your kitchen table.