Optional analytics

Google Analytics helps us understand visits and improve our recipes. It is optional.

Croque-Monsieur

By · Published · Mains

↓ Jump to Recipe
A homemade croque-monsieur with golden melted cheese on a scalloped plate, cut with a knife and fork.

A ham and cheese sandwich spread with béchamel, covered in cheese and baked until bubbling. The Paris café lunch, made with plain cooked ham from the deli, a white sandwich loaf and Emmental grated from the wedge.

Croque-monsieur is my quick dinner here. Everything keeps in the fridge, the béchamel takes five minutes, and with a green salad it's on the table in about 35 minutes, which is exactly what I want on a weeknight.

A croque-monsieur is the hot lunch of Paris cafés: ham and cheese between two slices of white bread, béchamel inside and on top, baked and then browned under the broiler. With a green salad it's a full meal, and at home it takes about 35 minutes.

Mozzarella or Emmental?

Cafés use Gruyère or Emmental, grated thick over the béchamel. Whatever you use, cover the top right to the edges: bare béchamel scorches under the broiler before the cheese browns.

Mozzarella is the go-to melting cheese in most Canadian kitchens, and honestly, it works for a weeknight croque: it melts well and browns in spots. It's milder and stringier, though, so the croque tastes closer to a pizza toast than a café lunch. Emmental grated from the wedge gives the café taste, if you want the Paris version.

The cheese guide covers Emmental, Gruyère and Oka.

Keeping the middle from going soggy

A runny béchamel soaks into soft Canadian sandwich bread and the inside turns to paste. Cook it until it holds a ridge when you drag a spoon through it. Spread only a thin layer inside, and save the thick layer for the top, where the broiler browns it.

Making it in Canada

The 3 French ingredients, and what to buy for them in Canada.

  • Jambon de Paris→Plain cooked ham (unsmoked), sliced about 3 mm

    Jambon de Paris is cooked, unsmoked and lightly salted. Black Forest, honey and toupie hams are smoked or sweet, and the smoke takes over the whole sandwich. Very thin shaved ham dries out and tears under the béchamel.

    At a deli counter, ask for plain cooked ham or prosciutto cotto. Prepackaged, Mastro Prosciutto Cotto comes in 125 g packs on Voilà, and Real Canadian Superstore sells Mastro's lean prosciutto cotto sliced by weight. Check that the label says cooked, not smoked.

    French Ham in Canada: Jambon Blanc, Cru and Fumé »

  • Pain de mie→Plain white sandwich loaf, regular slices

    Pain de mie is a soft, tight-crumbed loaf with a thin crust, and a plain white sandwich loaf does the same job. Skip thin-sliced bread, which goes soggy under the béchamel, and sweet loaves, which brown too fast under the broiler.

    Look for 'white' on the label, not 'thin-sliced', 'milk bread' or 'brioche'. Any national or store brand works.

  • Gruyère ou emmental→Emmental, grated from the wedge (or Gruyère)

    Emmental is what French cafés and supermarkets use for a croque: mild, stretchy and good at browning. Gruyère is nuttier. Grate it yourself, since bagged shreds are coated and melt less smoothly. Oka makes a stronger croque. Mild cheddar is the swap that fails: it turns greasy and slides off the top.

    Président Emmental (220 g) at Walmart. If you see it, Emmi Swiss Gruyère (150 g) is at Walmart; Metro lists Swiss Gruyère at its deli cheese counter, and also carries Frère Jacques, a Swiss-style firm cheese from the Saint-Benoît-du-Lac abbey. For a stronger croque, Oka Original or Aged comes in 190 g wedges at Walmart and on Voilà; trim the rind.

    French Cheese in Canada: What to Buy for Each Recipe »

Good to know: If your store has a deli counter, have the ham sliced to order: you get plain cooked ham at the thickness you want, instead of shaved slices from a pack.

Ready to cook?
A homemade croque-monsieur with golden melted cheese on a scalloped plate, cut with a knife and fork.

Croque-Monsieur

A ham and cheese sandwich spread with béchamel, covered in cheese and baked until bubbling. The Paris café lunch, made with plain cooked ham from the deli, a white sandwich loaf and Emmental grated from the wedge.

Prep time
15 min
Cook time
20 min
Total time
35 min
Servings
4

Ingredients

Original recipe: 4 servings.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Make the béchamel. Melt 30 g butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and simmer 3–4 minutes, whisking, until it holds a ridge when you drag a spoon through it. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and let it cool a few minutes.
  3. Build the sandwiches. Spread the softened butter on one side of each slice of bread. Lay 4 slices on the sheet, buttered side down. Spread each with a thin layer of béchamel (and mustard, if using), add a slice of ham and a small handful of cheese, then close with the remaining bread, buttered side up.
  4. Top. Spread the rest of the béchamel over the tops and cover with the remaining cheese, right to the edges.
  5. Bake and grill. Bake 8–10 minutes, until the bread is crisp underneath. Then switch to the broiler and grill 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is bubbling and spotted brown.

Notes

  • For a croque-madame, top each sandwich with a fried egg just before serving.
  • For a stronger croque, use Oka instead of Emmental: trim the rind and grate it cold.
  • Make the béchamel up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. It sets firm, so warm it gently until it spreads.
  • Leftover croques re-crisp in 8–10 minutes at 180°C (350°F). The microwave makes the bread soggy.
  • Serve with a green salad and a mustard vinaigrette.

Course: Mains · Cuisine: French · Adapted for Canadian kitchens

Made this? Send it to whoever you're cooking for next, or pin it for later.

Canadian guides

French ingredients and what to buy in Canada »

You might also like