Recipes
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Croque monsieur
Whether it's for brunch, lunch or dinner, this golden buttery croque monsieur recipe has all the charm of a small French bistro in every bite.
- 5 minutes prep. time
- 10 minutes cooking time
- Serves 4
- Salads & light bites, Pies & savoury treats
Ingredients
For the béchamel sauce
- 200ml milk
- 20g plain flour
- 20g butter
- Salt and pepper, to season
To build
- 40g butter, melted
- 4 English muffins
- 120g sliced ham
- 40g Dijon mustard
To finish
- 200g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
- 100g grated mozarella
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Method
Veggie option
For a vegetarian alternative, replace the ham with chopped sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes and a little fresh oregano.
Step 1
For the béchamel sauce
Place the butter in a pan over a medium heat; when melted add the flour. Use a spatula or something similiar to stir the butter and flour together. Cook for around 1 minute or until the mixture forms a smooth paste.Step 2
Gradually add in the milk a little at a time, stirring between each addition to keep the sauce smooth. Once all the milk is added, simmer gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper, then leave to cool.
Step 3
Lay out the muffin halves and brush each with the melted butter. Put under the grill or place on a griddle or hot plate to toast one side.
Step 4
Turn the muffin halves over and spread the Dijon mustard on four of them. Spread over a little of the béchamel sauce, place the sliced ham on top of the béchamel then sprinkle over some of the cheddar and mozzarella.
Step 5
Sandwich the muffins together using the other muffin halves to give you four sandwiches.
Step 6
Spread the remaining béchamel sauce over the top of the muffins and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Step 7
Place in the oven at 190°C (170°C fan/gas mark 4) until the tops are golden and bubbling and the muffin is heated through. Remove from the oven.
Step 8
Place the croque monsieurs in the centre of serving plates. Dust the tops with some smoked paprika and serve.
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