Croque-Madame
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 sandwiches
- 5tablespoons butter
- 1tablespoon flour
- ⅔cup milk
- Sea salt
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 4⅓-inch-thick slices country bread
- 4thin slices French ham
- 2thin slices Gruyere cheese
- 2eggs
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat a two-sided electric griddle on medium-high to high for about 20 minutes, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees and preheat a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bechamel sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. When bubbles have subsided, add flour and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, and cook until thick. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
- Step 2
Spread two slices of bread generously with sauce. Lay two slices of ham on top of each, and top each with a slice of cheese; ham and cheese should slightly overlap edges of bread. Top each with a slice of bread.
- Step 3
In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a skillet with little butter. Slide one fried egg onto each sandwich. Serve hot.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Elizabeth
Just returned from Paris where I had this several times. Each of my orders were built with the same ingredients but with one slice of bread.
How come this and other recipes I found online uses two slices of bread? Seems like the recipe really doesn't need two slices...
LeeAnn
We made this recipe today as written, and for all the cooking I have done in my life, I found this recipe to be one of the best things I've ever made. How often do you make something, eat it, and then continue to think about it all day long? It was that good. Just be sure to get a really good loaf of crusty bread. Superb!
Greg
You can use a biscuit cutter on the top slice of bread and crack the egg into the void. Let the egg bake with the rest of the sandwich.
Luis
I just tried this with pieces of fried bacon instead of ham...
You got try it!! : )
sonia
About 30 years ago, a fever spread through Paris and a new fashion was born: the savory "tartine", an open sandwich served hot or cold, often build on Poilâne-style bread. Our dear old Mr. and Mrs. Croque, which used to be closed sandwiches made with pain de mie (white bread)*, became open-faced and often laid on deliciously sour dark bread.
*they are still made that way in most households, including my mother's.
Peter
From wikipedia: The sauce was originally from renaissance Tuscany and was known as "Salsa Colla or Colletta" ("glue sauce") because of the gluey consistency of the sauce, and was brought to France by the chefs of Catherina de' Medici in 1533.
Lisa Thompson
I'd consider adding just a touch of Dijon mustard on top of the ham, as our local Bistro does.
Gretal
I followed the suggestion and made this with bacon instead of ham. Wow! Why go out when this is so easy to make?
Nancy
This is absolutely wonderful! I added about 1/2 tsp of dijon per sandwich as suggested by one of the commenters. I also found it helpful to remove the pan from the heat briefly while whisking the flour into the melted butter in Step 1, and then return it to the heat when adding the milk. Makes me want to go to Paris!
Andre
I was somewhat relieved to see only 2 slices of ham per sandwich. Only in America do you typically get half a hog of ham on two thin slices of bread.
Rusty
Looks wonderful, but what the heck is country bread?
Ann K.
This was delicious - I substituted cinnamon for nutmeg second time around, and it tasted just as nice.
BLC
These are fabulous sandwiches, although very rich. Used thinly sliced leftover Easter ham, which was slightly sweet, and smoked Gruyere because it was in the fridge. Smeared Dijon on the slices of bread without the bechamel, which added a nice tang. Next time, I think I'll grate the cheese and increase oven temp to 350, so the cheese will melt before the bread gets too crisp. Will also serve with a side that has an assertive acid component.
Anna MacIntyre
This is the third time I’ve made this recipe and it’s still my husband’s favorite comfort food. I have found that substituting Trader Joe’s rosemary ham and sliced raclette cheese takes this to the next level.
John S
This was amazing, absolutely delicious! I kicked up the bechamel sauce a bit by adding some garlic powder and a 1/4c of the Gruyère.
LBrennan
This one made me feel like I'd transformed into a professional cook both while I eating it and while listening to my family rave about it. I will try a bit of Dijon next time as some people suggested. This is a hearty comfort food that is perfect for mornings after a night of "too much fun" or on a rainy afternoon with a book waiting for you after the dishes are done.
JJ3
Good lunch. I just made the sandwich in my oven. Generously spread butter over the outside of the bread, 15 min at 325. Bechemal went over the eggs and toasty sandwiches. Nice little fast sauce recipe.
Nancy B
I added a layer of sliced mushrooms browned in butter with some thyme leaves, salt and Cavendars Mediterrean Spice on the ham and I also added Parmesan cheese to the Bechamel Sauce. I toasted and buttered on piece of bread, added the ham, mushrooms, sauce and cheese and broiled it in the oven while making a perfect six minute egg in boiling water to top it off with. Spectacular!
Ainsley
Nice!
Ngrimmick
Croque Madame and tomato soup on a snowy winter afternoon! Life is good! Made as directed in the recipe!
Amy
This was delicious. I imagine making it for a friend on a cold day.
Aava
We have cooked this a lot and it is very yummy. The only thing we do is change the butter from 5 tbsp to 3 tbsp to make it a bit healthier. This was a repeat in our house for sure!
Bekah
We made it open faced and with a thin layer of Dijon mustard (as was discussed in previous comments), and it was absolutely delicious! We also cut the recipe in half and it worked brilliantly. I highly recommend this recipe
Lisa
Easy and delicious. Forgiving with substitutions. Added a teaspoon each of dijon and maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne to the bechamel. Yummy!
Anna MacIntyre
This is the third time I’ve made this recipe and it’s still my husband’s favorite comfort food. I have found that substituting Trader Joe’s rosemary ham and sliced raclette cheese takes this to the next level.
Maeve
oh MY! this will hold you for the next 8 hrs. delicious, so good, and since we don't do pork at our house, smoked turkey did the trick. I also used oat milk. Oops! Still delicious too.
david m
Very good, pretty quick and easy. We used the leftovers from our “no-knead” bread to whip this up as a quick and luxurious breakfast.
Nancy
This is absolutely wonderful! I added about 1/2 tsp of dijon per sandwich as suggested by one of the commenters. I also found it helpful to remove the pan from the heat briefly while whisking the flour into the melted butter in Step 1, and then return it to the heat when adding the milk. Makes me want to go to Paris!
jet
But then, what wouldn't make one want to go to Paris?
Brit_NYC
Great recipe! We love the truffle croque madame from Maman in NYC, so we decided to make!!!! Because we are in pantry staple mode we didn’t have nutmeg, so I subbed truffle seasoning and also added some Dijon similar to others. Made the sauce with oatly it vs. reg milk and was a hit.
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