Ham And Cheese Croque With Dijon Recipes

CROQUE MONSIEUR (FRENCH HOT HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).

HAM AND CHEESE CROQUE WITH DIJON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400. Lay bread slices on a work surface. Lightly butter 3 slices and place butter-side-down on a baking sheet. Now spread them lightly with mustard.
• Distribute half the cheese over the mustard. Top each of the slices of cheese-covered bread with 2 slices prosciutto and cover each evenly with more grated cheese, reserving 1/4 cup cheese for final topping.
• Lay on the remaining 3 bread slices and press down gently. Spread each top slice with about 3 tablespoons béchamel. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
• Bake until browned and bubbling on top, about 10 minutes. To serve, cut each sandwich in half diagonally or vertically to make 6 small sandwiches. Sprinkle with thyme and chives. Cut off crusts if desired. May also be cut into bite-size pieces.

FRENCH ONION CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• For the onions: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Scatter the onions onto a rimmed baking sheet along with the garlic and thyme. Drizzle with the olive oil, brandy and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Cover tightly with foil and transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
• Remove the foil and stir in the vinegar. Return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until caramelized. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed, and set aside.
• For the sandwiches: Set your broiler to low and line a baking sheet with foil. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low, until steaming.
• For the mornay sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly add the milk. Add the salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and freshly grated nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1/4 cup of the Gruyère or Emmental.
• Lay half of the bread out on the prepared baking sheet and spread 1 teaspoon of Dijon over each slice. Top each with two slices of ham, if using, about 3 tablespoons caramelized onions and divide half of the cream sauce over top. Scatter about 2 tablespoons of the grated Gruyère or Emmental over each and sandwich with another piece of bread. Spread the remaining cream sauce over the tops of each sandwich and scatter over the remaining cheese.
• Broil the sandwiches for 4 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
• Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a little butter over medium-high heat until crisp around the edges, leaving the yolks runny.
• Top the sandwiches with the fried eggs, scattered with a few fresh thyme leaves and season with some extra salt and pepper.

CROQUE MADAME CASSEROLE WITH HAM AND GRUYèRE

Steps:

• Arrange racks in top and middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. If bread is not a day old or still feels moist, arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, flipping once, until dry to the touch but not toasted, 5-10 minutes. Using a 2" ring or cookie cutter or sharp paring knife, cut a hole in the center of 6 bread slices. Trim bread to fit in 2 even layers in a 13x9" baking dish, with the whole slices on the bottom and the slices with holes on the top, forming 6 sandwiches. Remove from dish.
• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until butter foams then subsides (make sure it doesn't brown), and mixture is light gold and thickened, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, whisking, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 4-6 minutes. Reduce heat to very low. Whisk in nutmeg, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper into the Béchamel sauce. Whisk in 1 cup Gruyère a handful at a time, making sure cheese is melted before adding more. (Béchamel with cheese added is technically called a Mornay sauce.) You should have about 3 1/2 cups of sauce.
• Spread one-third of the Béchamel in the dish. Arrange 6 whole slices of bread in a single layer in dish. Spread Dijon evenly on bread. Top each with 2 slices of ham, folding to fit on bread if necessary.
• Spread another third of the Béchamel over ham. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup Gruyère. Place 6 bread slices with holes on top to form 6 sandwiches. Spread remaining Béchamel over sandwiches; sprinkle with 1 cup Gruyère (avoid holes to save room for eggs).
• Crack 1 egg into each hole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Gruyère. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray. Place foil, oiled side down, over baking dish, crimping to seal. Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove foil, increase oven temperature to 400°F, transfer dish to top rack, and bake until egg whites are just barely set and yolks are still runny (eggs will continue to cook slightly when removed from oven), 8-12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.