Croque Monsieur
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon butter
- 1½tablepoons flour
- 1cup milk
- Salt and pepper
- 24slices white Pullman bread, ½ inch thick
- ½pound Gruyère, grated
- 12slices ham, ⅛ inch thick
- ¼cup Dijon mustard
For the Béchamel
For the Panini
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
263 calories; 10 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 699 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
To make the béchamel: melt butter in a saucepan; sprinkle in flour, whisking constantly. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Step 2
To make the panini: preheat a panini press or George Foreman grill. Spread 1 teaspoon béchamel on each slice of bread and arrange the slices in two equal rows. On one row, sprinkle enough Gruyére to cover all the way to the edges. On the other, add the ham and top with a dollop of mustard and a twist of pepper. Put the slices with the ham and mustard on top of the slices with the cheese. Grill until lightly golden. Serve hot.
Private Notes
Comments
I've often wondered why the fuss for grilled ham, cheese & bechamel. Then I learned key ingredients that transcend like great music. The sauce requires fresh nutmeg & a touch of mustard. Use French Comte from unpasteurized milk aged at least 10 months. Ham needs a touch of sweetness: Jambon De Paris or Beechwood smoked ham. Bake & broil: browned cheese with toffee notes harmonize with creamy nutmeg and soar with the sweetness of the ham enhanced by the slight tang of mustard!
I don't really get it. I'm french and for me this is a croque monsieur qnd not a panini. Paninis are not made with slides of breads but with a small half-coocked baguette (I don't know what is the right name of it).
Italians don't call it "panini" - first, that's a plural (of "panino", i.e. sandwich). This particular kind of sandwich - the croque-monsieur of the French - is called a "toast" in Italy, never "panino" and certainly not "panini".
Used entire bechamel splitting on two open faced toasts. Toast bread first. Spread mustard on toast. Top with ham. Then lots bechamel (leave some for top). Then cheese. Then more bechamel. Twists of black pepper and salt. Broil until bubbly-brown on top. Nutmeg must in bechamel. When you bite into it, it is like eating a cloud because the bechemel is also in the middle. This recipe as guide with my changes made it like the ones I remember from Rue Saint Pierre in the 6th arrondissement
Second note: I never had a croque with 2 tsp of bechamel. It should be floating in bechemal so it tastes like a cloud, as I noted. Also, should be open faced or it can’t float — it would all squeeze out. This recipe unaltered is a grilled cheese sandwich with a little bechemal. I’m sure it is delicious but it does not look or taste anything like the croque monsieur I’ve always eaten all over France. I enjoyed it! I also enjoyed one more like a croque that I described in my prior note.
Croque-Monsieur is French! Par bleu!!
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