Croque-Monsieur sandwich

Today is another recipe for French cuisine: the “Croque-Monsieur” sandwich, a delicious sandwich well known and typical of the neighboring country. In France it can be found on the menu of all bars, cafes and “bistros”, being a perfect snack for an aperitif, snack time or a simple dinner. Perhaps with the vip club sandwich it is one of the most famous sandwiches on the blog, little by little we will prepare the best and most varied so that you can choose your favorite.

Historical references place his first stellar appearance in a Parisian café back in 1910. In Marcel Proust’s novel ” In the Shadow of the Blooming Girls “, the author refers to ” Croque-monsieur ” recounting that he would taste it together to some cream eggs. Since then its popularity has risen until it is currently a production present in all corners of the country.

Being a well-known preparation, it has a multitude of variations, depending on the bread or the accessories that you want to add. We will find whole grain or seed breads, different types of cheese, various sauces, and they even differ in the way they are prepared: some go to the oven and others to the grill. So we can talk about the ” Croque-madame ” that has a fried egg on top of the sandwich, reminiscent of the headdresses of French ladies of the early twentieth century. The ” Monsieur et Croque Madame ” has, in addition to the fried egg, some meat, which could be chicken, turkey or pork. For non-carnivores there is also a version with smoked salmon.

It is a snack that you will love since when using bechamel sauce and cheese in its preparation, it has a great creaminess and is very juicy. Very warm and freshly made, from the first time I did it at home I included it among my favorites for aperitif, snack or dinner.

Preparation of the “Croque-Monsieur” sandwich

1. To do this I have chosen a few thick slices of bread, special sandwich, but you can also use slices of a rich artisan bread, such as the wonderful Cea Bread from Galicia. What you should try is that they are consistent and support all the ingredients that we are going to add to it. As for cheese, the typical one used in France is the “gruyère”, although it admits others such as Emmental or Cheddar, perhaps easier to find.
2. Before mounting the “Croque-Monsieur” we need to prepare a bechamel sauce , which you can do following the recipe that we already have on the blog.
3. Once ready we let it temper about 5 minutes so that it has consistency and is more manageable when assembling the sandwich.
4. We place a slice as a base. We spread it generously with the béchamel, spreading it evenly over the slice of bread. We add grated cheese on top, covering all the bechamel. We place a slice of cooked ham equal to the bread. Spread the other slice of bread on the inside and place it on the ham, so that the béchamel is in contact with it.
5. We press the sandwich by hand so that all the ingredients settle. On the top we spread the béchamel sauce again and finish with a good amount of cheese. After the gratin, this layer will look like when we prepare a lasagna.
6. We preheat the oven to 200º C for 10 min. We place the sandwiches on the central tray and bake 10 minutes at 200º C. After this time, we give a final touch of 5 minutes in the grill function so that the top layer melts. These times can vary a little up or down depending on the hardness of the bread or your oven. The important thing is to achieve a creaminess point so that the béchamel acquires a creamy texture and the cheese melts. But be on the lookout so that you do not pass point and the bread burns.

I can assure you that this sandwich is a real delight, and if you have children at home it will be an impressive success, they love everything with cheese and bechamel.

I encourage you to visit more recipes for tapas, snacks and pinchos  perfect for an unforgettable evening with yours. Perfect for a light dinner, a party or, yes, a delicious way to share food with friends and the people you love.