Croque Monsieur
A French classic: crispy buttered bread encasing ham, melted cheese, and a creamy béchamel sauce, pan-fried until golden. Ready in 15 minutes.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 24g
Ingredients
- 3.5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 slices gruyere or emmental cheese, sliced
- 4 slices ham, sliced
- 4 slices white bread or brioche, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the surface is foamy, about 45 seconds.
- 2
Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until it looks like wet sand and smells fragrant, not raw and floury.
- 3
Pour in 0.5 cup milk while whisking continuously to break up lumps, until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- 4
Simmer over medium heat, stirring once every 10 seconds, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
- 5
Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of salt and pepper, then set the sauce aside in a small bowl.
- 6
Lay all 4 bread slices on a cutting board and spread about 1 tablespoon of béchamel sauce on each slice, using the back of a spoon.
- 7
Place 1 slice of ham on the sauce side of 2 bread slices, then lay 2 slices of cheese on top of each ham slice.
- 8
Top with the remaining 2 bread slices, sauce-side down, pressing gently so they stick together into two sandwiches.
- 9
Heat 1.25 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 10
Carefully place both sandwiches in the skillet and cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, like caramel color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- 11
Flip the sandwiches and cook the other side over medium heat until golden brown and the cheese inside melts slightly, about 2 minutes.
- 12
Transfer both sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest for 1 minute so the cheese sets slightly without leaking.
- 13
Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and transfer to plates.
Tools you’ll need
- small saucepan
- wooden spoon
- whisk
- small bowl
- cutting board
- knife
- 12-inch skillet
- spatula
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