Croque Madame Sandwich

Croque madame with melted cheese and a sunny side up egg on top.

A classic croque madame sandwich made with ham, béchamel, and melted cheese, baked until hot and golden, then finished with a sunny side up egg on top.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings servings

Calories 921kcal

Author Diane Gail

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter separated
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
dash ground nutmeg
4 slices white bread
4 slices smoked deli ham
1 cup grated gruyère cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large eggs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly whisk in milk until smooth.
Add salt and pepper and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and whisk in Dijon mustard and nutmeg.
Butter all four slices of bread with remaining butter. Grill them , butter side down, to golden brown in a skillet.
Lay two slices of bread, grilled side down, on a silicone-lined baking sheet and spread a thin layer of béchamel over each slice.
Top with ham and half of the gruyère and parmesan cheeses.
Place the remaining slices of bread, grilled side up, on top and spread the remaining béchamel over them, then add the remaining cheeses.
Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a low broiler and cook for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is browned.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and crack the egg into the pan.
Cook undisturbed on one side until the whites are set and the yolk remains visible.
Place the egg on top of the sandwich and serve.

Notes

Adjust béchamel richness: Use half and half or heavy cream in place of whole milk if you want a richer sauce.
Keep béchamel spreadable: The sauce should be thick enough to stay in place but loose enough to spread easily over the bread.
Use a quality ham: A good deli sliced smoked ham makes a noticeable difference in the finished sandwich.
Cook the egg to preference: Leave the yolk visible and cook the whites to your preferred level before topping the sandwich.

Nutrition