Delicious French Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Original, unusual, for breakfast and snack! Croque Monsieur is a French hot sandwich made from bread, ham and cheese, baked with a thick, aromatic béchamel sauce. They turn out satisfying, tasty and healthy — just what you need for breakfast.
cook time: 30 min
Lucas Halstead
Delicious French Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

279
Calories
41g
Fat
5g
Carbs
18g
Protein

Ingredients (2 portions)

For the croque monsieur:

White bread 100 g
Soft cheese 4 pc
Hard cheese 50 g
Ham 2 pc

For the bechamel sauce:

Milk 100 ml
Butter 10 g
Wheat flour 10 g
Nutmeg 2 g
Salt to taste

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make Croque Monsieur? Prepare your food. The classic version of the sandwich is prepared with bechamel sauce. You can, of course, prepare it without sauce, using mustard and mayonnaise instead, but I will prepare an original sandwich. Take white square bread for toasting. My ham is small, so I take 4 slices. I took mozzarella cheese and melted it in plates. Hard cheese for sprinkling (Parmesan, Gruyère).

Step 2

Step 2
First prepare the béchamel sauce. You can prepare a slightly larger quantity so that you can quickly make such sandwiches or use it for other dishes (lasagna, pasta). How to make sauce? Take a thick-bottomed saucepan and melt the butter in it over medium heat. Choose high-quality, natural butter, without milk fat substitutes.

Step 3

Step 3
Add flour to the butter and lightly fry it, stirring, until it has a light nutty aroma.

Step 4

Step 4
Pour milk into the ladle in a thin stream (it is better if it is warm), add salt and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly (it’s good to use a whisk for this) and simmer the sauce over low heat until thickened. Then cool it a little.

Step 5

Step 5
The croque monsieur sandwiches will bake in the oven, so first turn it on to preheat to 190 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or frying pan and place a slice of bread on it. I cut off the crusts along the edges, but then I regretted it — they crispy very tasty in the finished sandwich. And croque literally means “crunch” in French.

Step 6

Step 6
Spread a little bechamel sauce on each slice of bread.

Step 7

Step 7
Place a slice of soft cheese on top. I’m experimenting, using melted one, but it will work better with mozzarella.

Step 8

Step 8
Place a piece of ham on the cheese (I have two pieces, since I took a small one). And put a piece of soft cheese on top again.

Step 9

Step 9
Place a piece of bread on top of the cheese and pour bechamel sauce over it. Grate the hard cheese on a coarse grater and sprinkle it on the sandwiches. Place the pan with the croque monsieur in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese melts and a delicious crust appears.

Step 10

Step 10
Serve the finished croque-monsieur immediately to the table with a cup of freshly brewed tea or coffee. You can also add a fried egg to the sandwich by placing it on top of the sandwich to create a croque madame. Bon appetit!

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