A Croque Monsieur is a classy French sandwich with ham in the middle and a bechamel sauce on top with melted gruyere cheese.
If you want an upscaled version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for lunch this it! I first heard of this sandwich when I watched Ina make it on her show 11 years ago. She uses the oven to get the bread all toasty. This method does work but next time I’m going to use the griddle. The broiler gets the cheese all melted but the ham in the middle doesn’t cook all the way through or get warm. Next time, I’m definitely using a griddle or non stick skillet to make this sandwich and then melt the cheese sauce in a broiler.
I’ve been going through older recipes on this site and updating the posts with a new picture. Some recipes that are before 2013 do not have a pic to go with them and I apologize for that. Hopefully, all my recipes on this site will be updated with a proper picture and be formatted correctly.
If you like Ina recipes try Shrimp Scampi with Linguini, Beatty’s Chocolate Cake Recipe, or Lobster Mac and Cheese.
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Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter – is the most commonly used type of butter in baking, as it allows for more control over the amount of salt in the recipe.
All-purpose flour – is a type of wheat flour that is commonly used in cooking and baking. It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.
Hot milk – Dairy does not like me at all so I go for a lactose free milk such as Fairlife. It also has more protein in it.
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg – is a seed or ground spice of several species of the genus Mysristica. It is rich in antioxidants and helps protect against signs of
Gruyere, grated
Grated Parmesan – is a hard, granular cheese that originated in Italy. It is typically made from cow’s milk and has a sharp, nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is often grated and used as a topping for pasta dishes, salads, and other foods.
White sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin - See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Croque Monsieur
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2: Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, ½ cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
Step 3: To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
Step 3: Lightly brush half the toasted bread with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.
Recipe Tip: Instead of turning on the broiler you can toast the sandwiches in your air fryer instead. I did 350 for 5 minutes and the tops got toasty and brown!
Tips for Croque Monsieur
If you want to add a fried egg on top of this sandwich then it wouldn’t be a Croque monsieur anymore. It’d be a Croque madame.
Looking to save some money on Gruyere cheese? Sam’s Club has it pretty reasonable and so does Aldi. Aldi even has it pre-shredded and it comes in an 8 oz bag. My block of gruyere was almost 8.05 at my most frequented grocery store.
Use an electric griddle to make the sandwich or a nonstick skillet works as well. The recipe calls for toasting the bread in an oven first but I think a griddle would work way better. A panini press would work as well.
Serve with fresh fruit, kettle chips, or your favorite soup!
If you tried this Ina Garten’s Croque Monsieur any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
Ina Garten’s Croque Monsieur
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Category: Lunch
Method: Broil
Cuisine: French
Description
A Croque Monsieur is a classy French sandwich with ham in the middle and a bechamel sauce on top with melted gruyere cheese.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, ½ cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 423
- Sugar: 9g
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 26g
