Just like a grilled cheese, assembling a Croque Monsieur is nothing complicated. Yet, this isn’t your typical grilled cheese. What is really important here is to choose each component of your Croque Monsieur wisely. So, here are my recommendations for building a great and authentic tasting French Croque-Monsieur.

What bread works best for a Croque-Monsieur?

A white Classic Pain de Mie (or called Pullman Bread in North America) is best and the most traditional choice for a Croque Monsieur. The square shape of pain de mie slices is ideal, and the tight crumb of this soft bread is perfect to hold the melty cheese without it leaking out onto the bottom of your pan.  

Sometimes, I also like to opt for a French loaf (as pictured here). When picking the loaf, I still make sure the crumb is tight and the crust not too crusty.

Rustic breads like sourdough boules or grainy loaves aren’t recommended here. They often have crumbs with bigger holes that will let cheese spill out and burn onto the pan. Their crust is also too crunchy and becomes even harder to bite into once toasted.  

Which ham to choose?

In France, “Jambon de Paris” is used for this recipe. Jambon de Paris is a lean, unsmoked, mild-flavoured ham that is sold cooked, sliced and ready-to-eat in every grocery store and butcher shop in France. In North America, this style in less common but can often be found at the deli-counter. Ask for thin (not shaved) slices of “Paris Ham” from your butcher/deli grocer.

Which cheese to choose?

Hard French mountain cheeses, such as Gruyère, Comté or Emmental are traditionally used for a Croque Monsieur. They are flavorful yet not too strong, hold delicious nutty aromas and melt very well.  They are very common cheeses to find in France and are also affordable. In North America, they are slightly more expensive but worth it if you ask me, to create an authentic tasting Croque Monsieur.  

The Sauce : Béchamel or Mornay ?

There are two schools when it comes to the sauce for a Croque-Monsieur. Traditionalists usually opt for the classic Béchamel sauce, made from flour, butter, milk and a pinch of nutmeg. Béchamel is one of the 5 French Mother sauces, and great recipe to have in your French repertoire. This sauce is creamy, delicious and the subtle hints of nutmeg pairs nicely with the ham.

Some others go for a Mornay Sauce, which is simply a Béchamel sauce with grated cheese folded in it right at the end. It is very similar to a Béchamel sauce yet slightly more salty and stringy.

I like to opt for a simple Béchamel Sauce for a Croque-Monsieur, but often can’t resist adding extra grated cheese on top of the sandwich before it goes in the oven to create a golden top.

Cooking notes:

• A key to cooking a proper Croque-Monsieur is to be patient. A common mistake when toasting this sandwich on the stove top is to start on a pan that is too hot. The bread immediately gets toasted and the cheese doesn’t have time to melt. To avoid this, place your Croque-Monsieur on a cold pan, and then turn the heat up to medium. Both the bread and cheese will slowly warm up, and the cheese will start melting as the bread will start toasting.
• You can make the Béchamel sauce in advance, up to 1 day ahead before using it. After making the sauce, transfer it into a bowl and cover it with a plastic film that touches the surface of the sauce so no skin forms on top. Let it cool completely to room temperature and keep in the fridge until ready to be used. Before using it, re-heat the sauce in a saucepan over low-medium heat and whisk vigorously until it becomes smooth again.
• A common variation of Croque-Monsieur is called Croque-Madame, where your add a sunny-side up egg on top of each Croque-Monsieur, right before serving.
• This recipe makes 2 sandwiches; you can easily double or triple quantities for more. 
• I love to enjoy Croque-Monsieur with a salad and a few Cornichons (French dill pickles) on the side.

I hope you’ll love this Croque Monsieur Ham and Cheese Sandwich recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment! 

• Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin (Endive au Jambon)
• Braised Rabbit with Prunes (Lapin aux Pruneaux) 
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts in Grape Sauce 
• Simple Chicken Marengo with Mushrooms
• Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion
• Coq au Vin Blanc 

Croque Monsieur Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes 15 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce:
3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter
3 tbsp (45g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500ml) 2% or whole milk
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

To assemble:
2 tbsp (30) unsalted butter
4 slices of Pain de Mie of French Loaf
½ cup (50g) Gruyère, Comté or Emmental cheese, grated. 
4 slices Paris Ham
Salt, pepper

Instructions

Step 1 - Start by preparing the Béchamel Sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a thick paste forms that leaves the edges of the pan clean. Switch to a whisk, and add the milk slowly, stirring constantly. Bring to a slow boil, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens to a creamy and spreadable consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Adjust seasoning if needed (salt) and set aside.

Step 2 - Arrange the 4 slices of bread on your working surface. Spread ½ tbsp of butter on the 4 slices. Flip slices so the buttered sides are on the outside. Top 2 slices with (each) a little less than ¼ cup of grated cheese and 2 slices of ham on top.  Close each with the 2 remaining bread slices.

Step 3 - Place the two sandwiches on a cast iron skillet (or oven-safe pan), and turn the heat to medium. Cook for about 7-8 minutes until the bottoms are crisp and golden. Flip the sandwich (carefully, with a spatula) and brown for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Step 4 - Spread a generous layer of Béchamel sauce on top of the sandwiches and (optional) top with the remaining grated cheese. Place the skillet in your oven under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye out so the tops don’t burn! Serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appétit!

The post Classic French Croque Monsieur appeared first on Pardon Your French.

This Tapenade Sandwich with Caramelized Bell Peppers, Artichokes Hearts & Goat Cheese is a perfect example of this. It features beautiful ingredients found in Summer Provencal cuisine: red bell peppers, goat cheese, Herbs de Provence (local dried herbs mix) and marinated artichoke hearts – all bound together on a thick layer of salty Black Olive Tapenade.

It’s both briny from the goat cheese and Tapenade and sweet from the caramelized onions and marinated artichoke hearts. It’s crisp from the toasted bread, chewy and tender from the filling.

I think it has it all.

How to make this Tapenade Sandwich with Caramelized Bell Peppers, Artichokes Hearts & Goat Cheese

This recipe begins by toasting bread slices with a small amount of butter. I often like to use multi-grain cereal bread for sandwiches, which provide more nutrients, a nice crunch and nutty flavor. Although, any kind of sandwich bread of your choosing works well in this recipe.

The recipe continues with the making of caramelized onions and bell peppers, which provides a delectable sweetness and meltiness to these sandwiches. The onion and red bell peppers are slowly cooked and caramelized in a frying pan/skillet until soft and melty.

I used red bell pepper, which is the sweetest kind and well-suited for being caramelized. Yellow or orange bell pepper will work well too – but green bell pepper won’t caramelize as nicely. Green peppers, being picked prematurely before being perfectly ripened, don’t receive all the natural sugars that red, yellow or orange do.

Once the onion and pepper are caramelized, the sandwich is finally built. It starts with a thick layer of Black Olive Tapenade, onion and pepper, marinated artichoke hearts, and crumbled goat cheese.

The sandwich is finished off with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkle of Herbs de Provence. Herbs de Provence, heavily used in Provencal Cuisine, can be find in spice shops or bulk stores. As a substitute, you can use any dried herbs of your choosing, such a thyme, rosemary, parsley or basil.

My Cooking notes:

• Fresh, homemade Black Olive Tapenade will go a long way for imparting great flavors to this sandwich. Find my recipe for it here.
• Multi-grain cereal bread, such as Rudolph’s Bavarian Multi-Grain Bread, works best here, but you can definitely use any sandwich bread that you might prefer. Pain de Mie works well too.

I hope you’ll love this Tapenade Sandwich with Caramelized Bell Peppers, Artichoke Hearts & Goat Cheese. This is a scrumptious, satisfying meat-less sandwich (and I guarantee you won’t miss the meat!).

This recipe comes together is 30 minutes and gives you enough to make two sandwiches.

You can easily double, or triple the recipe to feed a large crowd. I shared my homemade Black Olive Tapenade recipe here last year and I recommend you make it – which will bring incredible flavor to the sandwiches.

You may also like:

• Provence-Style Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs & Herbs 
• Croque-Madame Sandwich
• French-style Couscous Salad
• Pearl-onion Tart Tatin

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pardonyourfrench on Instagram and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench

Tapenade Sandwich with Caramelized Bell Peppers, Artichoke Hearts & Goat Cheese

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 sandwiches Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 15 Minutes calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

Black Olive Tapenade 
2 slices Multi-Grain cereal bread (ie. Rudolph’s Bavarian Multi-Grain Bread)
½ tbsp butter (7g) salted or unsalted
2 tbsp (30ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely
½ sweet onion, peeled and sliced in half rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in ½-inch (1.25cm) thick slices
½ tbsp (6g) sugar
2 tsp Herbs de Provence, divided
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 Marinated Artichoke hearts, quartered (ie. Unico brand)
2 tbsp Soft unripened goat cheese, crumbled (ie. Soignon brand)

Instructions

Prepare the Black Olive Tapenade first, see recipe here.

Step 1 – Prepare the toasts - Cut the bread slices in half, so you have 4 toasts. Spread butter evenly on both sides of the bread and toast in a skillet/frying pan on medium-heat for about 3 minutes on each side until toasted and golden. Set aside.

Step 2 – Caramelize the onion and pepper - In the same skillet/frying pan, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon (15ml) EVOO. When the oil is warm and almost sizzling, add the garlic, onion, bell pepper and sugar. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion and pepper are soft and lightly caramelized. Season with 1 tsp Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 3 -  Assemble the sandwiches - Spread about 2 tablespoons of Black Olive Tapenade on two of the pieces of toast. Top each toast with half of the caramelized onion and pepper, 4 marinated artichoke heart quarters, 1 tbsp crumbled goat cheese, ½ tsp Herbs de Provence, a 1/2tbsp (7.5ml) drizzle of EVOO. Close each sandwich with the remaining toasts and enjoy immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appetit! 

The post Tapenade Sandwich with Caramelized Bell Peppers, Artichoke Hearts & Goat Cheese appeared first on Pardon Your French.