Have you ever had a Croque Madame?
It’s a classic French bistro sandwich and is the most comforting breakfast sandwich there is.
A buttery grilled sandwich, filled with ham & gruyere cheese, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and a runny fried egg.
- Servings– 1 Sandwich
- Total Time– 30 minutes
Croque Madame Ingredients:
- Butter– salted or unsalted.
- Garlic– minced.
- Flour- all purpose.
- Cream– you can use either whole milk or half & half.
- Bread– a good quality sliced bread. Sourdough or potato are always great choices for this.
- Sliced Honey Ham
- Grated Cheese– this is traditionally made with Gruyere cheese but you can use whatever cheese sounds good to you and has a good melt.
- Grated Parmesan
- Egg- the fried runny egg is a must.
- Chives- for garnish.
- Nutmeg– nutmeg is a great spice for creamy cheese sauces. A little go es a long way in elevating the flavors.
How to Make Croque Madame:
- Make Beschamel Sauce–
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir. A light paste should form, do not let it brown!
- Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup cream, then whisk in other 1/4 cup. Continue whisking and stirring until mixture has thickened slightly about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in grated Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Make Grilled Sandwich–
- lay down one slice of bread, top with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese, followed by sliced ham, then another 1 tablespoon cheese, and other slice of bread.
- Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium, add sandwich and grill about 2 minutes per side until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.
- Add Sauce & Broil– top sandwich with beschamel sauce and remaining grated cheese. Place sandwich on a baking sheet and blast with broiler until cheese topping is bubbly.
- Fry Egg & Enjoy: add an egg to lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Cover and let egg cook for 90-120 seconds until whites have set but yolk is still running. Add egg to sandwich and top with chives and pepper.
More Breakfast & Brunch Recipes You Will Love:
- Bacon, Bleu Cheese, and Potato Tart
- Cuban Eggs Benedict
- Crispy Prosciutto & Parmesan Strata
- Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Brunch Salad with Creamy Garlic Dill Dressing
- Cajun Shrimp & White Cheddar Cheese Grits
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Croque Madame
Croque Madame, a buttery grilled sandwich, filled with ham & gruyere cheese, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and a runny fried egg.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Frying Pan
- Spatula
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup half & half
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 2 slices bread
- 3-4 slices honey ham
- 3 tbsp grated Gruyère cheese
- 1 egg
- Chives
Instructions
- Make Béchamel Sauce– melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour and stir. A light paste should form. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup cream, then whisk in other 1/4 cup. Continue whisking and stirring until mixture has thickened slightly about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in grated Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Grill Sandwich– lay down one slice of bread, top with 1 tablespoon of grated Gruyère cheese, followed by sliced ham, then another 1 tablespoon cheese, and other slice of bread. Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium heat, add sandwich and grill about 2 minutes per side until cheese has melted and bread is golden brown.
- Add Sauce & Broil– top sandwich with Béchamel sauce and remaining grated cheese. Place sandwich on a baking sheet and broil until cheese topping is bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Fry Egg & Enjoy- add an egg to lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Cover and let egg cook for 90-120 seconds until whites have set but yolk is still runny. Add egg to sandwich and top with chives and pepper.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
