CROQUE MADAME

HOW TO MAKE CROQUE MADAME

First, you are going to make the Mornay Sauce. In a small saucepan, melt a couple tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in an equal amount of flour and cook for a few minutes. Now, slowly whisk in the milk and simmer over low heat until slightly thickened. This will take about ten minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gruyére cheese and Parmesan cheese in three parts. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm while you assemble the sandwiches.

Breakfast is always a priority at our house. Weekend breakfasts are by far the best because we have the time to kick it up and take it off the charts. This French Croque Madame sandwich is by far one of our favorites. The creamy Mornay Sauce is really the shining star in this recipe. This sandwich takes a little longer to make than your average egg sandwich, but it is well worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS

MORNAY SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk warmed
• 3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1–2 pinches nutmeg (optional)

SANDWICH

• 8 slices bakery quality white bread
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 8 thin slices deli style ham
• 4 large eggs
• salt and pepper to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, approximately 8-10 minutes. Whisk frequently to prevent lumps and scorching.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese in 3 parts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and if desired, 1-2 pinches of nutmeg. Cover to keep warm while you assemble the sandwiches.
3. Prepare the sandwiches on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper. On 2 toasted bread slices, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard.  Place 2 slices of ham on 1 slice.  Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of Mornay sauce over the ham.  Top with the other slice of toast with the Dijon side down. Top the whole sandwich with 2 tablespoons of Mornay sauce.  Repeat preparing the other 3 sandwiches.
4. Cook 4 eggs sunny side up in a nonstick skillet.  Place the baking sheet in the oven under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned. Stay close by, as broilers are unpredictable. Top each sandwich with one sunny-side-up egg. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

NOTES

• If your mornings are crazy busy like mine, give yourself a break and make the Béchamel Sauce ahead of time.
• Use good quality cheese, bread, and ham. It really does make a difference.
• Watch the sandwich closely under the broiler. Broilers are very unpredictable, and you don’t want all this work gone to waste.
• You can top the sandwich with poached, over easy, or sunny-side-up eggs.
• To make it a Croque Monsieur sandwich, leave off the egg. Voila!
• Serve promptly so everything is warm, and the bread is still crusty.