Croque Monsieur reminds me a bit of a Monte Cristo (another favorite), but it has a completely different taste. Both main dishes are great served with a light Arugula Salad.
What is Croque Monsieur?
While a Monte Cristo is a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in an egg batter, deep fried and topped with powdered sugar, a Croque Monsieur is more like a fancy grilled cheese sandwich using french toast. It’s a baked or fried ham and cheese sandwich. Sound different? Well, it is, but it’s also very delicious. This dish appeared on menus in Paris, France as early as 1910. You add all the ingredients to the sandwich and dip it in a milk and egg mixture (almost like french toast!) and fry it in butter just like you would grilled cheese. Easy, right? It’s savory and melty on the inside, with a golden crispy outside.
How to Make Croque Monsieur
These sandwiches has a few more steps than grilled cheese, but are still just as easy! ASSEMBLE. Mix mayo and mustard together in a small bowl. Spread onto 4 bread slices. Add cheese and ham to each bread slice. Place the other slice of bread on top of the ham. PREP. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and milk in a pie plate until well blended. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. DIP + FRY. Dip each sandwich in egg mixture (make sure all sides are coated), then place in buttered pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides (a few minutes on each side). Bake instead of fry: If you would rather bake your sandwiches, preheat the oven to 425. Prepare the sandwiches as usual, but place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes flipping halfway through, then turn the oven to broil and broil on each side for about 1-2 minutes watching carefully so they don’t burn.
Variations
Mr. & Mrs. Croque means “crunch” and Monsieur means “mister”. In other words this is a “Mister Crunch” sandwich. You may be thinking, “If there is a Mister can there be a Misses?” I’m glad you asked! The female counterpart of this sandwich is called a Croque Madame. Make the sandwich the same way except you add a sunny side up egg on top. This is because the fried egg resembles a woman’s hat. How fun is that! Variations. Aside from turning this sandwich into a croque madame by adding a simple egg you can switch up with other ingredients as well.
Cheese: Use gruyere cheese or parmesan cheese.Seasoning: Sprinkle the top with Herbes de Provence, thyme, nutmeg, salt, black pepper.Bread: Use french bread, sourdough, or any brioche-like bread.Sauce: Spread the bread with cheesy béchamel sauce.Make it mini: Mini sandwiches can be made with baguette bread.Milk: Use any type of milk from whole milk to skim.
Serving Suggestions + Storing
Here are a few of our favorites sides to go with this delicious Croque Monsieur Sandwich.
Creamy Tomato Basil SoupCarrot SoupStrawberry Spinach SaladTomato Mozzarella Salad
Make ahead of time. I don’t suggest fully making these ahead of time, however you can complete step one and prepare the sandwiches the day before. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can even whisk the eggs and milk together, cover with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge as well. When you’re ready to fully grill them complete steps 3 & 4. Keeping a Batch Warm. If making a large amount of sandwiches, keep them warm in the oven for about 20 minutes before serving them.
Place a baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn the oven off. As you grill the sandwiches, place them on the warm baking sheet, in a single layer. If you wish, you can broil them to crisp them up.
STORE leftovers in a Ziploc or wrap in tin foil. Keep them in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, skillet, or if you’re in a hurry, the microwave.
For more sandwich recipes, check out:
French Dip SandwichSpinach and Artichoke Grilled CheeseVeggie PaniniMini Avocado Grilled Cheese SandwichesHam and Cheese Sliders
