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The Croque Family: Croque Monsieur & Croque Madame
Two iconic French sandwiches elevated to their most elegant form. The Croque Monsieur is a buttery, griddled sandwich filled with ham and Edam cheese, topped with a gruyère béchamel (sauce Mornay) and gratinéed until golden. The Croque Madame is identical but crowned with a fried egg on top. Giacomo uses artisan sourdough country bread instead of the traditional Pullman loaf, adding rustic depth and crunch.
Ingredients
Béchamel Mornay
- 2 tbsp Butter (for béchamel roux)
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 250 ml Whole milk (warm)
- 80 g Gruyère cheese (grated and mixed into béchamel)
Croque Madame Topping
- 1 unit Egg (fried, for Croque Madame only) optional
Sandwich
- 4 slices Country sourdough bread (cut into medium-thick slices)
- 3 tbsp Butter (softened, for spreading on both sides of bread)
- 150 g Ham (sliced generously)
- 100 g Edam cheese (sliced)
Serving
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (for serving) optional
Steps
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1Cut the country sourdough bread into medium-thick slices — they need enough structure to hold the moisture from the béchamel without collapsing. You can substitute Pullman (white sandwich bread) if preferred.Tip: Giacomo uses artisan sourdough for superior flavor and crunch, but traditional Croque uses Pullman bread.~2 min
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2Spread softened butter generously on both sides of each bread slice. This ensures even browning and crispness when griddled.~2 min
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3Griddle the buttered bread slices on a hot flat surface until golden and crispy on both sides. Listen for the crunch — that's how you know they're ready.Tip: The toast should be noticeably crunchy when tapped — this structural crispness is essential.~5 min
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4Prepare the béchamel Mornay: make a roux with butter and flour, gradually add warm milk while whisking, cook until thickened, then fold in the grated Gruyère cheese until melted and smooth. This is a sauce Mornay — a béchamel enriched with cheese.Tip: The Gruyère will melt and amalgamate with the sauce during gratinéeing, giving it its distinctive flavor.~8 min
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5Spread a layer of the Gruyère béchamel (Mornay) onto each toasted bread slice. Be generous — this sauce is the soul of the sandwich.~1 min
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6Layer generous slices of ham onto the béchamel-coated bread, then add slices of Edam cheese on top. Close the sandwich with the second slice of bread (béchamel side in).Tip: Be generous with the ham — don't skimp.~2 min
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7Spread another layer of béchamel Mornay on top of the assembled sandwich. This top layer is what gratinées into a golden, bubbling crust.Tip: Don't be shy with the béchamel — it gratins beautifully.~1 min
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8Place the sandwiches under a broiler (gratinador) or in a hot oven until the top béchamel layer is golden and bubbling. This is your Croque Monsieur — done.Tip: You can use a broiler, salamander, or oven set to gratinée mode.~5 min
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9For the Croque Madame: fry an egg and place it on top of the gratinéed sandwich. That's the only difference — the fried egg crowns it.Tip: The egg yolk should be runny so it acts as an extra sauce when cut into.~2 min
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10Serve with Dijon mustard on the side — it pairs exceptionally well with both versions.~1 min
Nutrition (per serving)
350
Calories
20g
Protein
35g
Carbs
15g
Fat
3g
Fiber
Cultural Context
The Croque Monsieur first appeared in Paris around 1910 and gained worldwide fame after Marcel Proust wrote about it in one of his novels. About 40 years later the Croque Madame emerged — the same sandwich with the simple addition of a fried egg on top. The word 'croque' comes from 'croquer' (to crunch), and the names playfully translate to 'Mr. Crunch' and 'Mrs. Crunch.' In France, Gruyère — a Swiss cheese — is uniquely embraced despite the country's thousands of native cheeses, a testament to its exceptional character. When béchamel is combined with Gruyère it becomes a sauce Mornay, one of the French mother sauce derivatives.