CTV Recipes
Search Recipes
Croque Monsieur
The combination of toasted country bread, rich béchamel, nutty Gruyère, and Dijon is just perfection.
YIELDS
8
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 5 cups grated Gruyère cheese, divided
- 16 slices country bread
- 2 1/2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
- 10 oz thinly sliced ham or smoked salmon (optional)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and position an oven rack in the center.
- To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. While the butter is melting, heat the milk in a separate pot over medium-low heat or microwave it for one to two minutes or until it’s pretty warm but not boiling.
- When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour and whisk in. Cook over medium heat, constantly whisking, for two to three minutes, until the mixture turns golden. Continuing to whisk, slowly pour the warmed milk and season the mixture with salt, pepper, herbes de Provence, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon.
- Once thick, whisk in the Pecorino Romano and 1 cup of the Gruyère. Keep it over low heat so that it stays warm.
- Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread and lay it on a baking sheet. Spread the Dijon over half of the slices and top with ham or salmon (if using). Spread three to four tablespoons of the béchamel on top and sprinkle each with a quarter cup of Gruyère. Top each with a plain slice of toast, three to four tablespoons of béchamel, and another quarter cup of Gruyère. Bake for four minutes.
- Turn on the broiler and, leaving the baking sheet in the center of the oven, broil for three minutes or until the top of the sandwiches are golden and bubbling.
- Serve hot from the oven, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Excerpted from Kitchen Party by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2019 Mary Berg. Photographs by Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
.jpg)
