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Home Breakfast

Croque Monsieur – the ultimate ham & cheese sandwich!

By:Nagi
Published:30 Apr '21Updated:4 Oct '21
103 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Croque Monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich, done the French way! Béchamel sauce, ham, cheese and a smear of Dijon mustard, grilled until it’s oozing, this sandwich is the king of grilled cheeses!

Look away if you’re dieting: this recipe calls for not one, not two, but THREE different types of cheese. If we’re going to make this, let’s go all the way and do it right! To all the French readers out there – let me know how I did?? 😊

Croque Monsieur

If there is one thing I think you can count on with the French when it comes to cooking, it’s their knack for taking things up a notch in the grand pursuit of edible bliss. Usually – and quite rightly! – this involves the addition of (more) butter, (more) cream, (more) cheese or simply (more) flavour!

Take the humble grilled ham and cheese sandwich. While the rest of the world will slap a piece of ham and cheese between two bits of floppy bread and call it lunch, the French are dining on THIS:

Need further convincing? I submit the following!

  • Paris Mash – The world’s most ridiculously decadent mashed potato;

  • Potato Dauphinoise – A simple potato bake, but hit with lashings of cream and cheese!;

  • Beef Bourguignon – Arguably the king of all stews, packed with flavours of red wine, bacon and rich, lip-smacking beef stock!

  • French Onion Soup – Who else but the French would insist on standing around stirring onions at the stove for an hour to extract maximum possible flavour?

😂😂😂

Close up of Paris Mash (Rich & Creamy Mashed Potato) being scooped up with a spoon
Paris Mash (Rich Creamy Mashed Potato)
Beef Bourguignon in a pot, ready to be served
Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
Potatoes au gratin (Dauphinoise Potatoes) fresh out of the oven
Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)

OK, so I share those thoughts in jest! The true origins of Croque Monsieur actually remain largely unknown. Tales range from French workers who left their lunch boxes too close to a hot radiator, to a Parisian bistro owner who had to improvise when he ran out of baguettes (hard to imagine in France!)

Whether borne of an accident or the mind of an ingenious French chef, we can all agree a world with Croque Monsieur in it is a happier place (though my butt may not agree!)


What you need for Croque Monsieur

Here’s what you need to make Croque Monsieur. Yes, it’s more than just bread, ham and cheese – see my opening statements! 😂

1. Bechamel Sauce

For our béchamel sauce, we need:

  • Cream and milk – You could substitute the cream with more milk if you want, but it will reduce the richness of the béchamel! Richness = goodness … 😂;

  • Butter and flour – The basis for our roux, which thickens our béchamel sauce; and

  • Nutmeg and pepper – A touch of spicing for our béchamel. A dash of nutmeg complements a béchamel beautifully.

2. Croque Monsieur sandwich

And here’s what we need for the rest of our Croque Monsieur:

  • Ham – Preferably smoked (who doesn’t love smoked ham?), but any ham is good here.

  • Gruyere and Swiss cheese – The main cheeses! Gruyere is an Alpine cheese from Switzerland. It has a pleasantly sweet and nutty flavour, and melts well, making it an ideal choice for a Croque Monsieur.

    “Swiss cheese” is a generic name for mass-produced cheese made in the style of Alpine cheeses, specifically milder emmental cheese. We use it here as it conveniently comes in sliced form for sandwiches, and it’s also cheaper than the real stuff.

    Feel free to use just Swiss cheese, or just gruyere (or other Alpine cheeses, eg. comté , emmental) – or a mix! It’s all up to your budget, what you have and what you like. Gruyere, Comté and Emmental are on the pricier end here in Australia whereas cheeses sold as “Swiss cheese” are better value and have excellent flavour;

  • Parmesan – Alpine cheeses are relatively mild, so parmesan boosts the savoury oomph and saltiness to just where we want it, as well as giving the top of the Croque Monsieur a gorgeous crusty golden crown;

  • Dijon mustard – Superb in any ham and cheese sandwich, and no exception here! It brings some welcome tang and another flavour layer to the sandwich; and

  • Butter – For pan-searing our Croque Monsieur in buttery goodness before it’s finished in the oven!

How to make Croque Monsieur

There are a few more steps involved than slapping a piece of ham and cheese between two pieces of bread. But believe me, it’s worth it. This is no mere snack we’re crafting here, this is an event. That moment when you pull this oozing, molten beauty out of the oven, and take that first bite … it’s truly one of the most heavenly eating experiences one can have on this fragile earth!

1. Béchamel sauce

A thick, spreadable Béchamel is used in place of butter to slather on each piece of bread, as well as slathering the top piece of bread. While it is made in the same way as the cheese sauce for things like Mac and Cheese, we make it much thicker so it can be spread like butter.

The simplest Croque Monsieurs actually forego any Béchamel sauce. For me though it’s an essential feature that absolutely makes the Croque Monsieur!

  1. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan, just until hot. This makes it incorporate much easier and more smoothly into the flour/butter mixture which is especially key in this Béchamel Sauce because it’s so thick;

  2. Roux – Make the roux by melting butter, then adding the flour and cooking it on a low heat for 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour. Don’t let the mixture become golden. We want the Béchamel Sauce to be white;

  3. Add hot milk – Pour in half the hot milk mixture while stirring constantly (trick to make the Béchamel lump free). Once the milk is incorporated into the roux, then add the remaining milk mixture and mix until combined; and

  4. Thicken – Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is so thick that you can spread it like peanut butter on bread. This will only take a minute or so because the ratio of flour to milk in this Béchamel is higher than normal so it’s spreadable rather than pourable.

    Once done, take it off the stove and set aside until required. It’s fine if the Béchamel Sauce cools down. It will become thicker but still be spreadable, and it will heat up when we pan fry and bake the Croque Monsieur.

2. Assembly

And here is how to assemble the Croque Monsieur:

  1. Slather a slice of untoasted white bread with Béchamel Sauce;

  2. Place two pieces of cheese on top, folding as needed to make them fit. Then spread the cheese with Dijon mustard. I know this seems unusual to spread the mustard on the cheese but there’s a good reason: if you spread it on the bread, it mixes in with the Béchamel Sauce and you can’t taste it! Neat, huh? 🙂;

  3. Layer on ham and then spread the ham with more Dijon mustard;

  4. Top with another layer of cheese (yes, you heard me!);

  5. Spread Béchamel on another piece of bread; and

  6. Close the sandwich.

3. Cooking

We’re on the home stretch! I did forewarn you that there were a few more steps involved than a regular grilled cheese or ham sandwich for your lunchbox … and it’s worth it!

  1. Pan fry sandwich in a skillet using melted butter (naturally – did you expect anything else??);

  2. Place seared sandwich on a tray and slather the top with the remaining Béchamel Sauce;

  3. Sprinkle with gruyere cheese, then parmesan;

  4. Bake for 15 minutes, and finally switch oven to the grill/broiler setting for 3 minutes to get some lovely bronzing on the top.

Now transfer your divine cheesy creation to a plate, and dive into it immediately while it’s hot and oozy. Weep with joy!

When and how to serve Croque Monsieur

Traditionally Croque Monsieurs are served at bistros and are the type of thing you find as a casual lunchtime offering in France, maybe with a side salad and fries (because, you know, there’s not enough calories in the Croque Monsieur as it is!😂).

Outside of France, it’s more common to see it on breakfast and brunch menus.

And just when you thought it wasn’t possible to gild a lily any more, let me also mention the Croque Madame. This is a popular variation in France that serves no less than a sunny-side-up fried egg on top of an already-obscenely-decadent Croque Monsieur!

Now that sounds like a perfect way to start a day! 😉 – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Freshly made Croque Monsieur on a plate, ready to be eaten

Croque Monsieur (French hot ham and cheese sandwich)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Breakfast, Brunch, Light Lunch
French
5 from 22 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Unapologetically calorific, this is the famous French hot ham and cheese sandwich! If you want to make it the traditional way, do not skimp on cheese or butter, and do not even think about using low fat anything. 😂
While it's thought of as a brunch/breakfast, Croque Monsieur is typically served as lunch in France with a side of fries and simple salad.
Truly one of the greatest sandwiches in the world, one that I say everyone should experience at least once in their lives ….

Ingredients

Bechamel:

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup cream (pure or heavy / thickened)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp / 25g unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose
  • 1/4 tsp salt , kosher/cooking salt
  • 1 pinch white pepper
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg , preferably freshly ground

Sandwich:

  • 4 slices sourdough bread , 1.5cm / ⅗" thick (Note 1)
  • 8 slices Swiss or gruyere cheese (165g / 6 oz, enough for 2 layers a sandwich) (Note 2)
  • 120g / 4 oz ham slices , preferably smoked
  • 4 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup gruyere cheese , shredded (packed cup, Note 2)
  • 3 tbsp parmesan , finely shredded (Note 2)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).

Béchamel sauce:

  • Heat milk and cream: Place milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, but don't let it boil. Set aside.
  • Make roux: Melt butter in a separate small saucepan over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low. Add flour and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 3 minutes. Don't let it brown.
  • Add hot milk: While stirring, add half the milk. Once incorporated into the roux, mix in remaining milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  • Thicken: Mix for 30 seconds to a minute or until it thickens into a spreadable and soft butter-like consistency (ie. not runny). If you have lumps, whisk until gone. Remove from heat (it is OK if it cools).

Assemble for pan frying:

  • Spread with Bechamel: Spread half the béchamel over the 4 slices of bread, as though you are buttering them to make normal sandwiches! (Reserve half the béchamel for topping)
  • Cheese + Dijon: Top two pieces of bread with 2 slices of gruyere or Swiss cheese each (fold as needed to make them fit). Then spread the cheese with half the Dijon Mustard (this might sound weird, but see in post for why we do this!).
  • Ham + Dijon: Top with ham, then spread ham with remaining Dijon mustard.
  • Top each of the two slices with 2 more slices of cheese (again, folding as needed), then close sandwiches with the other slices.

Pan fry:

  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes, pressing down lightly with an egg flip or spatula, until a deep golden brown.
  • Turn and cook the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray.

Bake then broil:

  • Topping: Slather remaining béchamel thickly on the upper pieces of bread. Sprinkle with Gruyere, then parmesan.
  • Bake and broil: Bake 15 minutes, then switch to the grill/broiler for 3 minutes and grill until the top is golden and bubbling.

Serve:

  • Immediately transfer to warmed serving plates, with knives and fork for serving (it's too messy to eat with hands.) For a traditional French bistro experience, add a side of fries and leafy greens lightly dressed in French Dressing or a basic vinaigrette. Devour and weep with joy! (Over the sandwich that is, not the salad!)

Recipe Notes:

1. Bread choice – Use a bread with decent heft and structure, not something very soft and delicate like basic square loaf bread, otherwise it won’t hold up to the considerable weight of the fillings!
A sourdough that doesn’t have a very thick or too-chewy crust is ideal (I used Bowan Island sourdough from Harris Farms, in case you are interested!). Otherwise a ciabatta, pane di casa or other stone baked bread will work a treat.
If you only have a soft bread (like said standard sandwich bread), toast it first before assembling, that will help keep it intact. Also consider using two slices of bread (glued with an extra sprinkle of cheese) to form one!
2. Cheese choices – Comte and Emmental are popular choices in France. Here in Sydney they can be harder to come by and rather expensive! Gruyere and Swiss cheese are ideal alternatives – excellent flavour, excellent melting qualities.
While these are the most traditional cheeses for Croque Monsieur you could absolutely make this with any good melting cheese (cheddar, Colby, tasty, Monterey Jack etc) and it will still be insanely good. Give mozzarella a miss in this one, as while it melts well it tends to be quite bland in grilled cheeses.
3. Make ahead – These can be assembled ahead, then tightly wrapped in cling wrap and frozen for 2 to 3 months. Thaw before cooking per recipe.
4. Nutrition per sandwich. (I was scared to do this calculation. It is a lot but I think these values are somewhat exaggerated. Still, diet food this definitely ain’t! Wear loose pants while eating!!😂)

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 1440cal (72%)Carbohydrates: 83g (28%)Protein: 67g (134%)Fat: 94g (145%)Saturated Fat: 54g (338%)Trans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 302mg (101%)Sodium: 2392mg (104%)Potassium: 590mg (17%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 2692IU (54%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 1302mg (130%)Iron: 6mg (33%)
Keywords: croque monsier, grilled cheese, ham and cheese sandwich
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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103 Comments

  1. Elizabeth Olcott says

    August 3, 2023 at 2:28 am

    Delicious! Super recipe and as always, your directions are perfect with great suggestions too.

    Reply
  2. Kayla Rees says

    April 19, 2023 at 4:48 am

    5 stars
    Just made it for the first time . And wow can I say amazing amazing amazing . Can’t wait to it again. Thanks again Nagi for another awesome foolproof recipe 😀

    Reply
  3. Susan Dougherty says

    November 4, 2022 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    This is so delicious! I made it tonight for my private chef clients. Made an extra and reheated it in my oven when I got home. If I had gotten this in a restaurant, I would want to kiss the chef. That good.

    Reply
  4. John says

    October 3, 2022 at 2:51 am

    5 stars
    I’ve not made croque Monsieur/Madam till finding your recipe and the results were as delicious as you promised. However, I do feel bloated for hours after I’ve eaten them so, despite your recommendation to make it as calorie inducing as presented, I have been looking for a lighter version without sacrificing the flavour. In brief this is what I’ve come up with: 1) make the bechamel with milk not cream – it tastes just as good IMHO. 2) Use tortilla wraps instead of bread. I spread the bechamel on the wrap, followed by cheese, mustard and ham followed by more cheese, if desired, for Monsieur or an omelette for Madam. Roll them up and follow your recipe from there. I use a cast iron frying pan (skillet) and I find that because of the thinness of the wraps I can skip the oven part and put the wraps in the same pan directly under the grill (broiler?) until the cheese on top is done. I would be interested in any comments, particularly if somebody tries my wrap version.

    Reply
  5. Trevor Jay says

    August 26, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe yesterday for the first time and it tasted exactly as I had expected from the recipe details. Just delicious, Thank you.
    One further comment, I never take too much notice of prep and cook times at the head of your recipes as I’m relatively new to the cooking game and later in life! I’m not as aquainted with speed as some in the kitchen! I had anticipated this recipe may take me an hour whilst the predicted time is 15 mins prep, 15 mins cook, it was actually longer still! No matter it was well worth it.

    Reply
  6. Claire says

    August 5, 2022 at 6:00 am

    Just made Croque Monsieur for the second time and it was glorious! I feel like the more accomplished cook when ever I made this but all the credit goes to you, Nagi! Thank you for your incredible, easy to follow recipes!

    Reply
  7. Patti Gerosky says

    June 11, 2022 at 10:12 am

    5 stars
    I made these tonight for supper, they were DELICIOUS!! I followed the recipe and they were well worth the extra work. I used the 3 different cheeses and they tasted sooo good. Thank you Nagi for sharing this recipe, I have loved all your recipes since I found you on Facebook.

    Reply
  8. Patti Gerosky says

    June 11, 2022 at 9:43 am

    I made these tonight Croque Monsieur for supper and they were delicious. I followed the instructions and they turned out perfect. I had never heard of these and they were well worth the effort and would definitely make them again. Thank you again Nagi for sharing this wonderful recipe with us.

    Reply
  9. Paul Unitt says

    May 29, 2022 at 11:58 pm

    Though not traditional a few thin slices of leeks softened in butter adds another dimension . I always add leeks to a Welsh rarebit .

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 30, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      Oh wow that does sound good!! Thanks for that tip Paul! N x

      Reply
  10. Lia McIntosh says

    May 6, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    OMG! Beautiful toasted sandwich. Easy to make and good instructions. I made mine a little lighter with lite cooking cream with less cheese and ham. Still delicious.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 6, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      Woo hoo!! I am happy that you liked it Lia! N x

      Reply
  11. Mikko Ville Valjento says

    April 21, 2022 at 3:15 am

    You don’t put cream in bechamel. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 21, 2022 at 4:21 pm

      The classically trained French chef that I work with does! He says in this case it makes a richer sauce! N x

      Reply
  12. Marlene Delaguardia says

    April 1, 2022 at 1:32 am

    5 stars
    Breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sooo good!

    Reply
  13. LÉONARD FOUCAULT says

    January 30, 2022 at 9:50 am

    When I was in France I was told that after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Guyaume (William of Normandy) visited Wales and he was served Welsh Rabbit and he loved it so much that he brought it back to France and it became Croque Monsieur

    Reply
  14. Mirsini Tzigizis says

    January 30, 2022 at 2:56 am

    I made this today because we are stuck at home due to snow blizzard. I have never had a better Croque Monsieur! We all devoured it! You taste everything in perfect balance. I wish all snow storms were like this! Thank you recipetineats!

    Reply
  15. Amanda says

    December 28, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    This recipe is my go to whenever we have leftover ham. Absolutely delicious. The quantities of everything are spot on! So decadent, so filling and so delicious! We top ours with a fried egg for added richness đŸ˜«đŸ˜

    Reply
  16. Melissa says

    December 11, 2021 at 8:48 am

    This recipe was incredible!! My son had to make an Authentic French Cuisine for French Class. We used all 3 cheeses. He has Sensory Processing Disorder and complained the gruyere was stinky but he loved it!! ( Without the mustard! Haha ) I’m hoping he gets an A+!! We will definitely be making this again!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 12, 2021 at 4:09 pm

      AWWWW! Good luck to him and I hope he gets an A+ too!! N x

      Reply
  17. Darril says

    October 24, 2021 at 5:06 am

    I made this using puff pastry like a pop tart

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 24, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      Oooooh! Sounds good! How were they? N x

      Reply
  18. Amanda says

    October 2, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    Hi Nagi, could you make this ahead and freeze, then add the topping once defrosted and bake/grill from there? Just thinking how I’d do this if I had a crowd to feed

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 3, 2021 at 10:45 am

      Hmm! Interesting question! Let me ask Chef 🙂 N x

      Reply
      • AB says

        October 19, 2021 at 8:30 pm

        5 stars
        Also keen to explore this. If it works it would be one of the best freezer foods EVER.

        Reply
  19. Sally says

    September 24, 2021 at 11:02 am

    5 stars
    I think I just gained 5lbs, and I’m about to burst. No regrets! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 24, 2021 at 12:57 pm

      No regrets!!! Love it Sally! N x

      Reply
  20. Betsy says

    September 20, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    Savory: Add raspberry jam
    Sweet: Dust with powdered sugar

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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