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Active Time
35 min
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Total Time
35 min
Brunch or supper, this croque-monsieur with an egg on top has the charm of a small French bistro in each bite.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Make sauce:
Step 1
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper.
Make sandwiches:
Step 2
Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce evenly over each of 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese (1/4 cup per slice). Spread mustard evenly on remaining 4 bread slices and top with ham, dividing it evenly, then invert onto cheese-topped bread to form sandwiches.
Step 3
Lightly oil a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan.
Step 4
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook sandwiches, turning over once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat and transfer sandwiches to baking pan, then wipe out skillet with paper towels.
Step 5
Preheat broiler.
Step 6
Top each sandwich with 1/3 cup sauce, spreading evenly. Broil sandwiches 4 to 5 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off broiler and transfer pan to lower third of oven to keep sandwiches warm.
Step 7
Heat remaining tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry eggs, covered, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.
The egg yolks in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area. You can use pasteurized eggs (in the shell) or cook eggs until yolks are set.
Leave a Review
Reviews (40)
Back to TopI think parchment is a better choice when applying directly to the surface of a hot cheese sauce. The wax from wax paper will de laminate into the sauce.
Guss
U.S.A.
11/21/2021
Never had either a croque monsieur or madame, so I made one of each; recpices were both from this website. Fought against my normally cheap nature, and shelled out for quality ham and gruyere. (worth it) Bread was homemade. Both sandwiches were delicious, but the mustard and the fried egg gave the Madame an extra boost. Personally, didn't find it that rich, or greasy. Absolutely worth the effort. And with a little practice, there won't even be that much effort.
vodkandtonic
Stroudsburg, PA
1/19/2018
Made this the other day when it was cold out and remembered how much I love a good Croque-Madame. The small touch of nutmeg is the perfect ration adding something special to the sauce without over powering. I admittedly added additional cheese on top with the sauce before placing under the broiler. Great recipes. Would make again!
lprestridge
Dallas, Texas
1/8/2017
Simply put, this dish is Champagne worthy.
tamsie
Oregpm
12/5/2015
发现这道菜虽然渴望的mazing croque-madam's I had around Paris and it couldn't have been better. Much easier to prepare than I assumed and tasted just like the real deal. Yes, you should expect rich flavours here, most french foods are rich in flavour and indulgent. I made for two so I cut the ingredients in half and substituted Swiss cheese. Will definitely be making this again for breakfast / lunch, or so my boyfriend tells me. :)
rtalley9296
Ontario, Canada
11/26/2015
Made this Saturday morning and everyone agreed it was delicious but way too rich! It tasted a lot like eggs benedict but had more steps to prepare, will probably just opt for eggs benedict next time.
morms
Denver, CO
8/2/2015
This is oh, so delicious! I was inspired when I had an open-faced croque-Madame at a French restaurant in Pike Place in Seattle so I had to find a recipe for Christmas morning. I also made it open-faced, and used a squared-off brioche loaf from Macrina bakery so that I could slice it thicker than I could find pre-sliced. Since I was making it open-faced, I spread the dijon, then layered the cheese, then ham, then I added baby spinach (which I thought was a good addition), then the Bechamel, and finally, of course, the egg. Of course it was rich, but a really impressive brunch and, as one reviewer commented, great for kids, too.
Anonymous
Tacoma, WA
12/28/2014
Nice grilled sandwich, but rich as many others noted. Far too heavy and greasy for my tastes.
will4567
Ellicott City, MD
12/26/2013
伟大的秘诀,跟着原比例with just a couple of minor application changes. We sliced a French loaf into thick, Texas toast style slices, used a mandolin to coarsely grate the cheese. The coarse shreds melted quickly into the sauce and melted awesomely in the broiler. We used a cast iron skillet to brown the sandwiches and then transferred the skillet to the broiler to finish off melting the cheese. We also used egg griddle rings to make the fried eggs perfectly circular. Next time will either slice the bread thinner or use only one slice to make the sandwich open faced. We also made extra sauce and used it for dipping, adding a pinch of smoked Thai chile for a little heat. Outstanding! We will definitely make again and will make for guests as it is quite impressive.
PantsTooTight
San Diego, CA
5/28/2013
I added carmelized onions to the sandwich and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the cheese sauce. I also used 2% milk - gotta remember to keep stirring or a film develops. Served with a frissee sandwich and Alta Luna Pinot Grigio.
es01
Northern Virginia
6/5/2012
Made exactly as written. This was incredibly delicious!!! I was nervous about the fried egg (sometimes they creep me out) but it is absolutely essential to the dish. Served with green salad and vinaigrette. Good enough for company, but not fancy.
mtn_chanterelle
Boone, NC
3/24/2012
Amazingly good. I thought I didn't care for Croque-Madame's much until I tried this recipe. It's extremely rich, leaving you with a brick-filled tummy, but I don't care, I eat every last crumb. Don't skip out on the Dijon, it adds a really nice flavor.
umdieecke
2/24/2011
Looking for something special for Easter Brunch--liked the reviews and gave it a whirl. It was good, but definitely not exceptional. Way too rich for our palate. The only substitution made was using whole wheat bread--followed everything else to a tee. Too many other good ones out there more deserving of 4 forks. I am glad I tried it, but once was enough in my humble opinion.
deechris10sen
4/4/2010
This sandwich is great, I mixed a bit of mayo with the dijon mustard to smear inside bread then served after I broiled the sauce on the sandwich. I did not add the egg, we were having for dinner with a cup of homemade soup. It was perfect and sooooo good.
carolc912
florida
1/8/2010
Sinfully good. Better than any croque madame I had in Paris. Definitely heavy, and not for eating all the time, but so delicious.
koldacre
Atlanta
11/9/2009
