This sandwich is the perfect, simple and impressive brunch recipe. The Croque Madame takes a ham and cheese sandwich up a notch by including bechamel sauce and an over easy egg to top it all off.
Croque Madame is an absolute staple in cafes across France. It’s the sister to the popular Croque Monsieur sandwich, which is an identical dish but without the egg garnishment on top.
Croque Monsieur vs Madame
01
Make the Béchamel - Once your flour, butter and milk is thickened, add the salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and dijon mustard and whisk to combine.
02
Assemble the Croque Madames: In a cookie sheet, lay 4 pieces of bread. Spread about 2 tbsp of bechamel onto each piece of bread.
03
Add shredded cheese on top of the bechamel. Then place 2 pieces of ham and finally, another piece of bread on top.
04
On top of the top piece of bread, spread bechamel sauce again. On top of the bechamel, sprinkle gruyere cheese.
04
Cook the sandwiches and eggs: Bale for about 4-5 minutes. While the sandwiches are in the oven, make 4 eggs over easy.
EXPERT TIP
Put the cookie sheet back on the top rack and broil until the cheese is bubbly and starts to toast. Watch your sandwiches closely!
If you want a very quick brunch recipe, you can prep the bechamel ahead of time and simply assemble/bake the sandwich at the time of serving.
EXPERT TIP
The bechamel will continue to thicken after you remove it from the heat.
EXPERT TIP
In France, Croque Madame sandwiches are generally served with an arugula side salad!