Croque Madame

Preparation: 10 minutes  |  Cooking Time: 30 Minutes | Total Time: 40 Minutes
Serves: 4 |  Kitchen Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet, parchment paper, frying pan

Croque Madame is a classic dish that never goes out of style. It is a beautiful combination of gruyere, fresh sliced bread, ham and bechamel sauce topped with a striking sunny-side up egg. Croque Madame is wonderful for lunch, brunch and even dinner, especially paired with a light green salad!

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated

8 slices of good quality ham

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated

4 eggs

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to broil (450F)
2. Grate the cheese and set aside.
3. Make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly, about 1-2 minutes, until the mixture just starts to turn golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly until combined. Then bring to a boil over high heat and continue to whisk until the milk mixture is thick.
4. Once your bechamel sauce is made, remove from the heat and mix in 1/4 cup gruyere cheese, pinches of salt, pepper and nutmeg – stir until smooth and set aside.
5. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place 4 slices of bread and spread 1/2 tbsp mustard over each. Then, top with 2 slices of ham and divide shredded gruyere over top of the ham on each piece of bread.
6. Put the baking sheet in the oven and broil 3-4 minutes until the cheese starts to melt.
7. Then, top with remaining bread slices, evenly pour the bechamel sauce over each sandwich and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Broil for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
8. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium heat and drizzle of olive oil. Add the eggs to the pan and cook until whites are cooked and yokes are still runny, about 5-7 minutes.
9. Place an egg on top of each sandwich and enjoy!

Recipe Pro Tips:

• If you’re serving this dish to guests, get prepped ahead of time! Slice the bread, grate the cheese, measure out ingredients for your bechamel, get out your pots and pans – this will save you a ton of time when putting together the dish for your guests.
• Have a guest that doesn’t like eggs? Serve without an egg, it’s just as delicious!