No Bake – There’s absolutely no need to bake your Croque Monsieur.That way it also goes gorgeously crispy when you broil it! I much prefer spreading the sauce on top of the sandwich to create its very own layer. Béchamel on top – Some recipes spread the sauce inside the sandwich and/or on top, however in experience this runs the risk of a soggy sandwich.Some recipes melt the butter into the pan, but I find that by the time you’ve fried one side all the butter’s been soaked up and the second side essentially fries in a dry pan. Butter – As I mentioned above, I prefer spreading butter on the bread as you would a grilled cheese.When it comes to cooking the sandwich, here’s how I differ from some techniques you may have seen: Process shots: butter bread and flip (photo 1), spread dijon (photo 2), add cheese (photo 3), add ham (photo 4), and more cheese (photo 5), top with bread butter side up (photo 6). Cheese – Yup, more cheese! This time we’re going for slices of Swiss/Emmental cheese.I recommend folding it in to create a bit of height/texture in the sandwich. Ham – Some slices of good quality ham.You only need a slither – a little goes a long way! Dijon – This goes on the inside of the bread.Butter – You’ll want to spread the outside of the bread just as you would a grilled cheese.You need to create a ‘strong’ sandwich that’ll hold its structure when all the cheese starts to melt. Bread – You want something sturdy like a Sourdough and slice it fairly thick.We’ll use that in just a sec, but first let’s see what you’ll need to make the sandwich itself: Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), stir in flour (photo 2), whisk in milk and add seasoning (photo 3), melt in gruyere (photo 4).Īlrighty, so the béchamel is done and dusted. Too thin and it’ll just seep into the bread and make it soggy. You’re looking for the sauce to be fairly thick. White pepper is a classic addition to béchamel because it blends in better than black pepper. White Pepper – Offers a very gentle background heat.Nutmeg – This brings out the gorgeous nutty tones of the gruyere.Most recipes place this inside the sandwich and leave the sauce without cheese, however I much prefer melting the gruyere through the béchamel (don’t worry, there’s more cheese in the sandwich as well 😛). Gruyere – Gruyere is an essential in a Croque Monsieur.Here you’ll need the basics to whip up the base of the sauce (butter, flour, milk) then some extra goodies to take it up a few notches: One of the most iconic layers of this sandwich is the béchamel sauce.

Today I’ll show you what I deem to be the easiest, and most importantly TASTIEST way to make it! Follow me… Whilst the ingredients are fairly universal, there’s a few different techniques to make it. It’s got French origins and was first seen around Cafes in Paris. I know it sounds fancy, but it only requires supermarket ingredients and is SO easy to make! What is a Croque Monsieur?įor those still wondering, a Croque Monsieur is essentially a hot toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Leave for a few seconds before slicing in half, then serve hot.Here I’ll give you some game changing tips and tricks to making the perfect Croque Monsieur!Ī Croque Monsieur is the definition of ‘simple yet simply delicious’. Put back under the grill for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown and bubbling. Spread the white sauce over the top of both sandwiches and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and 25g/1oz of the cheese.

Melt the remaining butter in the saucepan, whisk in the flour and heat for a few seconds. Scatter half of the cheese over the ham and cover with the remaining bread, toasted side up, to make two sandwiches. Put two slices of ham on two slices of the mustard-spread bread. Turn the bread over and spread the unbuttered side with mustard. Grill for 1–2 minutes, until lightly golden. Brush the butter over one side of each slice of bread and place the bread on the baking sheet, buttered side up. Melt half of the butter in a small saucepan.

Coq monsieur