Croque Madame

15 mins Prep Time

8 mins Cook Time

Written By

Robin Winship

Composed of crusty sourdough or country bread, thin slices of French ham, a rich homemade bechamel sauce, sharp Gruyere cheese and to top it all off, a fried egg, the croque madame sandwich puts the humble grilled cheese to shame. Make this beloved French dish for your next elaborate weekend brunch or for a foolproof weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Béchamel

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Pinch of nutmeg

Croque Madame

2 slices sourdough or country bread (1-inch thick)
Dijon mustard
3-6 thin slices French ham (depending on preference)
1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated on large holes of box grater
Béchamel (see recipe)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Béchamel

3 Steps

Step 1

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk to form a paste, cook out for 1 minute.
Step 2

Add milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly and making sure lumps are beaten out of the sauce. Heat until sauce comes to a simmer, turn heat down to low and whisk for 3 minutes while the sauce thickens.
Step 3

Once sauce is smooth and can coat the back of a spoon, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and cover top with plastic wrap so film doesn't form.

Croque Madame

5 Steps

Step 1

Set the oven to a high broil. Spread Dijon mustard on both slices of bread (inside side). Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the mustard side of both slices of bread.
Step 2

Layer thin slices of French ham on one slice of bread, top with half of the grated cheese and place second slice of bread on top.
Step 3

Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-low in a skillet and add sandwich to pan. Take your time to evenly brown both sides of the sandwich, letting the cheese melt inside.
Step 4

Once crisp and brown on both sides remove sandwich from pan onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Ladle a generous amount of your béchamel over the top of the sandwich, letting it run down the sides (the amount is up to you depending on how rich you want your croque). Sprinkling remaining amount of cheese on top and slide baking sheet into oven.
Step 5

Broil on high (keeping a close eye) until cheese starts to brown and bubble. While sandwich is broiling fry your egg in a pan, making sure yolk is still runny. Remove sandwich from oven, top with egg and enjoy!