Croque Monsieur Julia Child Recipes

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Make the bechamel. In a small saucepot, heat the milk over medium heat until warm to the touch; set aside. In a separate small saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking continuously, until the raw flour taste has been cooked out, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm milk until smooth. Grate the nutmeg into the bechamel.
• Season the bechamel with salt and bring to a simmer, whisking continuously, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the Gruyere. Whisk the mixture until smooth and set aside.
• Assemble the sandwiches. Heat the broiler on high. Set the bread on a sheet pan and place 3 slices of the ham on each slice of bread. Spoon a thin layer of the bechamel on top of the ham. Divide the Gruyere evenly among the sandwiches and season with pepper. Broil until the cheese melts and turns golden brown, about 3 minutes.

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter?flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
• To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
• Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

QUICK CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in bottom third. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Melt butter in another saucepan over medium heat; add flour, whisk to combine, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme, then gradually whisk in milk. Simmer bechamel 2 minutes, whisking. Remove from heat, and add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Cut top crust off bread; slice loaf in half horizontally. Fill sandwich with mustard, ham, and half the Gruyere. Toast on a baking sheet until cheese is melted and top is golden brown.
• Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Spread bechamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with pepper and remaining thyme. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

CROQUE-MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Use 2 tablespoons of the butter to spread over one side of each slice of bread. On three of the slices, spread a layer of Dijon mustard over the butter, and top each with 4 slices of ham. On the other three, spread mayonnaise, and top each one with 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Press ham and cheese sides of sandwiches together.
• In a flat bottomed dish, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, and water until blended. Set aside.
• Heat remaining butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip both sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture, and fry in the oil and butter until browned, flipping to brown on each side.

CROQUE MONSIEUR BAKE (NIGELLA LAWSON)

Steps:

• Spread the mustard on the bread slices and make sandwiches with the fine slices of cheese and ham; place each slice of cheese against the mustardy bread, and the ham between them.
• Make the sandwich and cut each one in half, making two triangles.
• Squish the sandwiches into a baking dish, approx 10 ½ inches x 8 ¼ inches and 2 ¼ inches deep.
• Beat the eggs, salt, and milk together; then pour over the sandwiches tightly packed into the dish.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
• In the morning, preheat oven to 400°; take the dish out of the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle over the grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce; bake for 25 minutes.

JACQUES'S CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Spread a thin layer of soft butter on one side only of both bread slices, then cover the buttered sides neatly with a layer of cheese. Arrange a layer of chicken on one bread slice and sprinkle on the chives and a few dashes of Tabasco, if you like. Flip the other piece of bread over on top (cheese inside, of course), press together, and spread more butter on the outsides of the sandwich, coating the slices evenly. Lay the assembled sandwich in the baking dish and prepare others the same way.
• Bake the sandwiches for 10 minutes or so, until the bottom sides are crisp and golden. Flip them over and bake for about 5 minutes more, until the second sides are also well toasted.
• Serve hot. For appetizer portions, trim off the crusts and cut each sandwich diagonally into 4 small triangles.