- Gather the Ingredients
Gather the ingredients.
- Melt Butter and Flour
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to the butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add Milk and Seasoning
Add the milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.
- Incorporate the Cheeses
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the Gruyère cheese.
- Prepare the Bread and Ham
Arrange two slices of bread on a baking sheet and spread with Dijon mustard, if desired. Divide the ham on top of the two slices of bread.
- Layer with Cheese Sauce
Spread a bit of the thick cheese sauce over the ham, top with the remaining Gruyere and another slice of bread.
- Butter the Sandwiches
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with some of the melted butter.
- Cook the Sandwiches
Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet, buttered side down and brush more butter over the tops. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Finish the Sandwich Preparation
Remove the sandwiches to the baking sheet and spread the remaining cheese sauce over the tops. Be sure to coat the edges to prevent the bread from burning.
- Prepare the Eggs to Fry
Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Turn the oven to broil. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Cook Eggs and Broil the Sandwiches
Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. While the eggs are cooking, place the sandwiches under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and beginning to brown.
- Serve the Croque Madame
Remove the sandwiches to plates and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
- Calories:564 kcal
- Protein:27 g
- Carbohydrates:124 mg
- Sugar:10 mg
- Salt:1 g
- Energy:2360 kJ
- Fat:41 g
-
Gather Ingredients
Gather the ingredients.
-
Melt Butter
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to the butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
-
Prepare Sauce
Add the milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.
-
Add Cheese
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the Gruyère cheese.
-
Assemble Sandwiches
Arrange two slices of bread on a baking sheet and spread with Dijon mustard, if desired. Divide the ham on top of the two slices of bread.
-
Add More Cheese
Spread a bit of the thick cheese sauce over the ham, top with the remaining Gruyere and another slice of bread.
-
Cook Sandwiches
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with some of the melted butter.
-
Fry Sandwiches
Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet, buttered side down and brush more butter over the tops. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
-
Apply Sauce
Remove the sandwiches to the baking sheet and spread the remaining cheese sauce over the tops. Be sure to coat the edges to prevent the bread from burning.
-
Broil Sandwiches
Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Turn the oven to broil and melt remaining butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
-
Fry Eggs
Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
-
Serve
Remove the sandwiches to plates and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
The lusciously rich and cheesy croque-madame sandwich is a variation on the famous croque-monsieur. The croque-madame is similar to the croque-monsieur in almost every way. Both include ham, a creamy béchamel sauce, and Gruyère cheese, but the croque-madame is topped off with a fried egg. The runny egg yolk adds a rich sauciness to this substantial sandwich.
Meet Mr. and Mrs. Crunch
Fun fact: "croque-monsieur" means Mr. Crunch, while "croque-madame" means "Mrs. Crunch."
This hot sandwich makes any occasion extra special. Serve a croque-madame for breakfast or brunch, or make a batch for dinner and serve with a salad on the side. Don't forget the knife and fork—this isn't a sandwich you can easily pick up.
Mind Your Mise en Place and Timing
It's essential to read the recipe carefully and have all your ingredients, pans, and utensils ready. It's a fast and easy preparation, but the recipe has several time-sensitive cooking steps.
What Does a Croque-Madame Contain?
Here's everything you'll need to make a classic croque-madame.
Bread: Choose a bread that's somewhat soft and not overly thick for your sandwich. Sliced brioche or country-style bread are excellent choices, or use your favorite sourdough or white sandwich bread.
Ham: Use thinly sliced leftover baked ham or good-quality deli ham for these sandwiches. French-style jambon de Paris is a great choice.
Béchamel Sauce: Béchamel is a basic white sauce that's so much more than the sum of its parts (which are simply butter, flour, milk, and a few seasonings). It adds a wonderful creaminess to the classic croque-monsieur and croque-madame.
Cheese: Both the croque-monsieur and the croque-madame typically contains nutty Gruyère cheese and sometimes Parmesan as well, as in this recipe. All of the Parmesan and half of the Gruyère are stirred into the béchamel—the addition of cheese technically transforms the béchamel into a mornay sauce. Then the rest of the grated Gruyère is sprinkled into the sandwich to create a gooey, melted layer of goodness.
Dijon Mustard: While spreading the sandwich with Dijon mustard is optional, it adds a wonderful sharpness that plays nicely against all the rich ingredients.
Butter: You'll need unsalted butter to make the béchamel and to cook the sandwiches and the fried eggs. It's pretty butter-forward recipe, and that's part of what makes it such a treat!
Fried Egg: Along with the croque-monsieur's bread, ham, creamy sauce, and cheese, the croque-madame gets a fried egg topper. While you can fry the eggs any way you like them, a runny yolk adds to the luxuriousness of this sandwich.
A "Hat" Is the One Difference Between a Croque-Monsieur and a Croque-Madame
As noted above, the only difference between a croque-monsieur and a croque-madame is that a croque-madame is topped with a fried egg. The croque-madame is thought to get its feminine name from the fact that the fried egg resembles a woman's hat.
Recipe Variation
Instead of Dijon mustard, use a mustard-mayo spread made with 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
