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Croque Monsieur

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 8 slices of white sandwich bread. Buy the fancy kind from bakery section of the grocery store. If you buy it from the bread aisle where all the other sandwich loaves are, it will turn out a little soggy. Any type of sliced Italian bread, sourdough bread, or any high quality kind from the bakery section will work.
  • 8 oz gruyere cheese, grated
  • 16 slices (a little less than a pound) of good quality ham (I had it sliced fresh at the deli counter)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 5 grates of fresh nutmeg
  • 8 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
  2. Place all 8 slices of bread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven, flip the slices of bread over, and bake for another 3 (take the bread out if it is getting anywhere past a light golden brown)
  3. Meanwhile, make your bechamel sauce
  4. Melt your butter in a large saute pan and add your flour
  5. Whisk together and let cook for about 30 seconds, whisking constantly
  6. Add the milk and whisk until everything is smooth and combined
  7. Bring this mixture to a simmer, and let it cook until it has thickened slightly
  8. Remove from the heat and add 2/3 cups of the grated gruyere cheese and the fresh grated nutmeg
  9. Season to taste with salt and pepper
  10. Remove the bread from the oven and assemble the sandwiches
  11. Spread 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard onto each slice of bread
  12. Lay 2 slices of ham each on 4 of the pieces of bread
  13. Evenly distribute half of the remaining gruyere on top of the ham on each sandwich (the other half will be used later)
  14. Place the remaining 4 slices of bread on top of the gruyere and place the sandwiches back onto the parchment lined baking sheet
  15. Spoon 1/3 cup of the bechamel on top of each sandwich (if there is any left over, add extra to the tops of the sandwiches)
  16. Sprinkle the remaining gruyere cheese on top of the sandwiches and bake for 10 minutes
  17. Turn the oven onto broil and broil the sandwiches for another 3-5 minutes, or until tops of the sandwiches are golden brown and bubbly
  18. Top with chopped parsley for color (optional)

Find it online: https://www.thegarlicdiaries.com/croque-monsieur/