Croque Madame

Name: Croque Madame
Ingredients: 12 slices white sandwich bread; Dijon mustard, for spreading; Sliced ham, as needed, depending on how thick your ham is (if using thinly sliced deli ham, use about 3 slices per sandwich, or 18 slices total); 4 cups grated Gruyere cheese; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; Pinch grated nutmeg; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 6 over-easy fried eggs

10 ingredients

14 steps

Ingredients

12 slices white sandwich bread
Dijon mustard, for spreading
Sliced ham, as needed, depending on how thick your ham is (if using thinly sliced deli ham, use about 3 slices per sandwich, or 18 slices total)
4 cups grated Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
Pinch grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 over-easy fried eggs

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2

Assemble the sandwiches on a baking sheet by spreading 6 slices of bread with a scant amount of Dijon mustard.
3

(If you like more Dijon flavor, add more; I like it to be subtle.)
4

Top with the desired amount of ham and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of cheese.
5

Top with the remaining bread slices.
6

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted.
7

Stir in the flour, creating a roux, and cook for about 4 minutes.
8

Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
9

Add the nutmeg and 1 cup of Gruyere, and season with salt and pepper.
10

Pour the mixture over the sandwiches.
11

Top the sandwiches with equal amounts of the remaining cheese.
12

Bake for 8 minutes.
13

Turn on the broiler and broil until the sandwiches are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 2 minutes (watch closely!).
14

Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve.