Croque Monsieur

Takes 20 minutes | Serves 4 |

Ingredients

60 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
350 ml whole milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 dash ground nutmeg
8 slices white sandwich bread
8 slices ham
160 g Gruyere or Emmental cheese, grated
25 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Steps

Béchamel Sauce

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.
• Gradually add the milk, stirring well until the mixture is smooth.
• Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.
• Season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard and nutmeg.
• Set aside while you make the sandwiches, or prepare this sauce up to 1 week in advance.

Assemble the Sandwiches

• Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
• Spread each bread slice with a layer of béchamel, spreading it all the way to the edges.
• Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Top each with a piece of ham, a handful of Gruyere, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• Place the remaining slices of bread on top, béchamel side up, then top with the remaining Gruyere and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 220°C for about 5-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
• Turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese on top is lightly golden, 2-4 minutes.