Croque Monsieur (Béchamel Ham and Cheese Melt)

Name: Croque Monsieur (Béchamel Ham and Cheese Melt)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: white bread 4 sheet; ham 100 g; Gruyère cheese 80 g; butter 30 g; flour 1 tsp; milk 150 ml; Dijon mustard 1 tsp

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Bechamel spread thickly over a ham and Gruyere sandwich, then covered with more cheese, bakes in the oven and puffs golden under the broiler.

Dijon mustard inside adds a sharp bite that cuts through the salty ham and rich cheese. Only half of the Gruyere is tucked inside during assembly, with the rest saved for the top. Add a fried egg on top and this Paris cafe classic becomes a croque madame.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

white bread4 sheet

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and make sure the broiler setting is ready for finishing.

Grate or loosen the 80 g Gruyere so it can be divided between the filling and the top.
2

Melt the 30 g butter in a small pan over medium-low heat, then stir in 1 teaspoon flour for about 1 minute.

Lower the heat before the roux darkens, so the sauce stays pale and smooth.
3

Pour in the 150 ml milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

Cook until the béchamel thickens enough that a spatula trail briefly holds, then remove it from the heat.
4

Spread the 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard thinly over 2 of the 4 bread slices.

Layer the 100 g ham and half of the cheese on top, keeping the edges slightly clear so the filling does not spill.
5

Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices and spread a thick layer of béchamel over the top.

Scatter the remaining cheese evenly, covering bare spots so the surface browns in a uniform layer.
6

Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, until the cheese inside is hot and melted.

Broil for about 3 more minutes, watching closely, and remove when the top is golden, bubbling, and lightly crisp.