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The Croque Madame – a classic French grilled ham and cheese sandwich made with a fried egg on top. Find out how to make one at home here.
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A Croque Madame is a rich, filling, decadent sandwich made with ham, gruyère cheese, and a béchamel sauce topped with a fried egg. It makes a great addition to any breakfast or brunch menu! Serve it alongside fresh fruit, orange juice, and pastries for an unforgettable and delectable breakfast.
Ingredients in a Croque Madame
- White Sandwich Bread – this classic French sandwich uses pain de mie which is a white, soft, rectangular sandwich bread. However, I used regular Italian sandwich bread. You can also use sourdough or wheat bread slices.
- Ham – use high quality ham from the deli counter for the best sandwich.
- Bechamel Sauce – bechamel is one of the five French mother sauces made of unsalted butter, all purpose flour, milk, and seasonings. The sauce in this recipe is technically a Mornay sauce, which is a variation of a bechamel that uses cheese as well.
- Gruyere Cheese – The strong flavor of Gruyere makes the perfect compliment to the subtle bechamel sauce
- Eggs – the star of the show! Each sandwich features a fried egg on top.
- Chives for garnish – you can also use fresh thyme
How to Make a Perfect Sunny Side Up Egg
Top your Croque Madame with the perfect sunny side up egg! Break the egg (fresh eggs are best) into a greased pan over low heat. You can use butter, bacon fat, olive oil, or just plain cooking spray. Do not cover you pan with a lid in attempt to cook faster. The yolk will start cooking from the top and lose its beautiful color. Add a teaspoon of water after 30 seconds or so to help the egg cook a little faster. Cook until the whites of the egg become opaque and the egg can slide easily around the pan. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Using the Right Pan
A nonstick skillet or griddle is the easiest to use. Nonstick skillets are by far the most fool proof way to go. If you use a cast iron skillet, be sure to use a well seasoned one. The more seasoned the pan, the more non-stick qualities it will have. If you do use a cast iron skillet but don’t want to use it for the eggs, you can toast the Croque Madame sandwiches in it, then transfer them straight to the oven to broil.
Frequently Asked Questions about Croque Madame
A croque madame is served with a poached or fried egg on top. In a croque monsieur, you dip the bread into an egg mixture before toasting.
Croque madame, because the egg on top looks like a fancy ladies hat.
Definitely with a knife and fork! Otherwise it can get very messy.
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How to Make a Croque Madame
Croque Madame
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter plus more for toasting
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- salt and pepper
- 1 dash ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 4 slices white bread I used an Italian loaf
- 6 slices deli ham
- 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
- 2 eggs
- chives for garnish optional
Instructions
- Make a roux: add the butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Keep whisking until bubbles form in the mixture and cook for 2 more minutes after that. The roux should stay a pale yellow color.
- Make a bechamel sauce: Heat milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then add slowly to the roux while whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Lower the heat and cook until thickened (2-3 more minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine.
- Lay out 2 slices of bread. Top each with 3 slices of ham.
- Add a few tablespoons of the bechamel sauce to the top of the ham. Top with some of the Gruyere. Place the other two slices of bread on the top of each sandwich.
- Spread the outsides of each sandwich with butter. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the sandwiches for a few minutes on each side until the bread is golden brown.
- Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and top with a few tablespoons of bechamel and more Gruyere cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned.
- While the sandwiches are broiling, fry two eggs. Top each sandwich with an egg and chopped chives for garnish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Serve any extra bechamel sauce on the side for dipping.
- Use high quality ham from the deli counter for the best taste.
- You can also add a bay leaf to the bechamel sauce when you add the milk for extra flavor. Remove before serving.
This is one of my new favorites. I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Made this for brunch over the weekend and it was a total hit! They were so delicious!