Indulge in a delightful culinary creation that harmonizes the classic flavors of a croque monsieur with the comforting goodness of mac and cheese. This innovative dish artfully combines two beloved comfort foods into a single, irresistible masterpiece. A crispy, golden-brown crust encases a rich and creamy béchamel sauce, which is generously layered with tender macaroni, oozing cheese, and savory ham. Experience a delightful symphony of textures and flavors in every bite. This recipe guide provides three enticing variations to satisfy diverse palates: a traditional croque monsieur mac and cheese, a vegetarian version bursting with roasted vegetables, and a seafood extravaganza featuring succulent shrimp and crab. Embark on a culinary journey and discover your perfect croque monsieur mac and cheese match.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
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.
THE PERFECT CROQUE MONSIEUR
Master the croque monsieur with soft sourdough, gruyère, smoked ham and creamy mustard mayo. You'll relish every mouthful of this brunch classic.
Provided by Emma Freud
Categories Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Snack, Treat
Time 50m
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- First, make a perfect béchamel sauce. Put the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves and onion in a small pan over a medium heat and stir together. Heat until nearly boiling, then turn the heat off and leave for 10 mins to infuse. Pass the liquid through a sieve and discard the bay and onion.
- Melt the butter with the flour in another pan and cook over a gentle heat until it smells biscuity. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring to a gentle boil, stirring regularly, then add the Dijon mustard, a little grating of fresh nutmeg and some seasoning. It should be a lovely thick creamy sauce with a deep flavour.
- Brush the slices of bread with melted butter. Place them on a baking tray and toast one side under a grill, buttered-side up, until golden. Take them out and heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
- Turn the bread over and spread each slice with a thin layer of Dijon, followed by a layer of the béchamel. Cover the sauce with grated gruyère, and then a slice of ham. Form the slices into two sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the sauce over the top slice and sprinkle more gruyère on top. Put the sandwiches in the oven and bake for 10-15 mins or until golden. Mix the mustard and mayo together and serve alongside.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 876 calories, Fat 62 grams fat, SaturatedFat 31 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 46 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 6 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 31 grams protein, Sodium 3.7 milligram of sodium
CLASSIC CROQUE MONSIEUR
Think of this classic French bistro sandwich as a ham and cheese sandwich, sent over the top with a Bechamel sauce. Rich, cheesy, and warm, you might just need a knife and fork! I like to make the Bechamel first, and have all the cheese grated, so the assembly goes quickly. Garnish with cornichons, if you like, and serve with a vegetable salad or simple soup.
Provided by Bibi
Time 45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine milk and cream in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high power, about 90 seconds. The liquid should be warm to the touch.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and keep stirring until all the flour is coated in butter, and the flour and butter begin to bubble, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in warmed milk and cream and cook until sauce begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Continue stirring, until the sauce is thick and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown 4 pieces of bread on 1 side, about 4 minutes. Place browned bread on the prepared baking sheet, browned side down.
- Spread each piece of bread with Bechamel sauce, from edge to edge. Place two slices of deli ham on the Bechamel and top with 1/2 cup of grated Gruyere cheese. Place remaining bread slices on top of each sandwich and spread the top with Bechamel, from edge to edge. Sprinkle the top of each sandwich with 2 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Turn on the oven's broiler.
- Move baking sheet about 6 inches from the heat source and broil sandwiches until the top is bubbly and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully, to avoid scorching the parchment paper and burning the cheese. Allow the sandwiches to cool slightly, cut in half, and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 878.9 calories, Carbohydrate 38.7 g, Cholesterol 193.4 mg, Fat 60.6 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 44.7 g, SaturatedFat 33.9 g, Sodium 1616.1 mg, Sugar 6 g
CROQUE MONSIEUR MAC AND CHEESE
Make and share this Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by hungrykitten
Categories Cheese
Time 40m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; toss with 1/4 cup milk.
- Meanwhile, combine both cheeses in a bowl. Beat 1/4 cup milk and the eggs in another bowl; fold in the bread and add half of the cheese.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 3/4 cup water and the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk; bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese, then add the pasta and toss.
- Butter a shallow casserole dish. Add half of the pasta, top with some of the ham and cover with the remaining pasta. Top with the remaining ham, then cover with the bread mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 850.4, Fat 41, SaturatedFat 22.8, Cholesterol 246.2, Sodium 1555.2, Carbohydrate 67.2, Fiber 2.9, Sugar 3.8, Protein 52.1
CROQUE-MONSIEUR
Easily adaptable into a Monte Cristo by just adding chicken, this wonderful battered then fried sandwich makes a great lunch with a tossed salad.
Provided by Sneakyteaky
Categories 100+ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Eggs Breakfast Sandwich Recipes
Time 20m
Yield 3
Number Of Ingredients 12
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 960.5 calories, Carbohydrate 38.1 g, Cholesterol 283.9 mg, Fat 69 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 45.6 g, SaturatedFat 30.5 g, Sodium 2492.3 mg, Sugar 3.3 g
CROQUE-MONSIEUR WITH GRUYERE CHEESE
Provided by Alessandra Stanley
Categories easy, lunch, quick, main course
Time 15m
Yield Eight servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler.
- Butter 8 slices of the bread and arrange them on a baking sheet, buttered side down. Smear the top side with Dijon to taste and top with the ham, the sliced cheese and the remaining bread. Butter the top of each sandwich.
- Place under the broiler, about 2 to 3 inches from the flame. Broil for about 3 minutes or until top slice is golden brown. Turn the sandwiches over and broil for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle each with the grated Gruyere and broil for 1 minute or until the cheese is melted.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 399, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 30 grams, Fat 22 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 918 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams
QUICK CROQUE MONSIEUR
Looking for a Gruyere substitute? Give Fontina, Comte, or even a sharp cheddar a try for this quick and delicious Croque Monsieur recipe. It's topped with a Bechamel sauce that's out of this world.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
Tips:
- For a crispier crust, use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs.
- To make the mac and cheese extra cheesy, add a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the béchamel sauce.
- If you don't have a mandoline, you can use a sharp knife to thinly slice the ham and Gruyère cheese.
- To make the croque monsieur mac and cheese ahead of time, assemble the casserole and bake it according to the recipe. Then, let it cool completely and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, reheat the casserole in a 350°F oven until it's warmed through.
- For a fun twist, try using different types of bread for the croque monsieur mac and cheese. Some good options include sourdough bread, brioche bread, or even croissants.
Conclusion:
This croque monsieur mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day. It's cheesy, gooey, and oh-so-satisfying. Plus, it's easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste. So next time you're looking for a delicious and hearty meal, give this recipe a try.
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