French · Lunch · All year
Croque Monsieur
4.6 · community
15m
Prep
15m
Cook
Easy
Level
640
Energy
The café ham-and-cheese elevated by mornay sauce inside AND on top, broiled to a bronze bubble. Add a fried egg and it becomes a madame.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
2
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Large bowl
Prep checklist
Bread — good white, thick
Gruyère — grated
4 steps
Method
1
Make a quick mornay: roux, milk, simmer 5 minutes; off heat, a third of the cheese, mustard, nutmeg.
8 min — timer available in cooking mode
2
Build: bread, mornay, ham, a handful of cheese, lid. Then — the move — mornay ON TOP, remaining cheese over that.
Why this works
The sauced roof is what separates a croque from a toastie. Be generous to the edges.
3
Bake at 200°C 10 minutes, then broil 2–3 to bronzed and bubbling. Knife, fork, bistro posture.
13 min — timer available in cooking mode
4
For a croque madame: crown each with a fried egg, yolk defiant.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate components separately up to 3 days; dress and assemble just before eating.
Freezing
Salads and sandwiches don't freeze; soups freeze beautifully for 3 months.
Reheating
Soups reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water. Sandwiches and salads are best assembled fresh — store components separately.
Make ahead
Batch the components (proteins, dressings, grains) on Sunday; assemble in minutes all week.
Wine pairing
Something light and cold — a crisp white, a spritz, or iced tea.
Beer pairing
A crisp pilsner or wheat beer keeps lunch light.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Cornichons
Frisée salad
A glass of anything French
Garnish
Flaky salt and cracked pepper
A drizzle of good olive oil
Fresh soft herbs
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
1
Umami
3
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
640
kcal
32g
protein
42g
carbs
38g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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Your notes
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