Introducing a delightful culinary creation that combines the best of French cuisine with the versatility of eggplant – the Eggplant Croque Monsieur. This savory dish tantalizes the taste buds with its layers of crispy eggplant, melted cheese, and a velvety béchamel sauce. Prepared with a touch of finesse, it transforms humble ingredients into an impressive and satisfying meal, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even a light dinner.
This recipe collection offers a variety of Eggplant Croque Monsieur variations, each with its unique charm. From the classic recipe that stays true to tradition, using Gruyère cheese and a tangy Dijon mustard, to more adventurous renditions that incorporate diverse ingredients like goat cheese, pesto, and even a spicy harissa sauce.
Whether you prefer a vegetarian delight or crave the richness of ham or bacon, these recipes cater to every palate. Some variations feature crispy prosciutto or tender slices of ham, while others rely on roasted red peppers or spinach to add vibrant colors and flavors.
With step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and stunning photographs, these recipes guide you through the process of creating this delectable dish. Discover the art of breading and shallow-frying eggplant slices to achieve the perfect golden-brown exterior. Learn the secrets of preparing a creamy béchamel sauce that coats the eggplant and cheese in a luscious embrace.
Whether you are a seasoned cook or a novice in the kitchen, this collection of Eggplant Croque Monsieur recipes promises an unforgettable culinary experience. Savor the harmonious blend of flavors and textures with every bite, and impress your friends and family with this sophisticated yet accessible dish. Embark on a culinary adventure and let your taste buds dance with delight!
CROQUE-MONSIEUR
While French restaurant and country cooking have been thoroughly examined by American home cooks, somewhere between the two styles lies a branch of cuisine that has been almost entirely missed: France's bar and cafe food. This is the realm of snacks like tartines and rillettes, salads and savory tarts, and one of most delicious of all: the croque-monsieur (literally translated as "crunch sir.") Good croque-monsieurs have a few things in common: a single layer of French ham and Gruyere pressed between two thin slices of bread. Some, like this one, are filled and topped with béchamel, which makes the whole thing creamier and better. The bread is brushed with butter, and the sandwich is cooked on a griddle or toasted under a broiler so that the cheese almost liquefies and the bits of ham and cheese hanging out the side fall limp and caramelize. It should be rich, substantial and salty, so you will reach for a glass of wine or beer between bites.
Provided by Amanda Hesser
Categories dinner, lunch, quick, sandwiches, main course
Time 20m
Yield 2 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat a two-sided electric griddle on medium-high to high for about 20 minutes, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees and preheat a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bechamel sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. When bubbles have subsided, add flour and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, and cook until thick. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
- Spread two slices of bread generously with sauce. Lay two slices of ham on top of each, and top each with a slice of cheese; ham and cheese should slightly overlap edges of bread. Top each with a slice of bread.
- In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling. Serve hot.
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.
CROQUE MONSIEUR
"This is my all-time favorite sandwich-it reminds me of growing up in France."
Provided by Marc Murphy
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
VEGAN CROQUE MONSIEUR
Our vegan croque monsieur is a tasty plant-based spin of the classic French toast, made with smoky eggplant slices, vegan cheese, and wholemeal bread.
Provided by Foodaciously
Categories Starters & Nibbles
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Season sliced eggplant with smoked paprika, celery salt, and pepper. Then, roast it for 15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).
- For the vegan bechamel, heat the milk with garlic, onion, nutmeg, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Then, let it infuse for 10 minutes.
- Whisk oil and starch in a pot and pour in the milk. Bring the sauce to a boil while stirring and simmer until thick.
- For each person, toast two bread slices and top each of them with a layer of mustard, bechamel, cheese, and aubergines. Then, top one slice with extra bechamel and cheese.
- Place the cheese-topped slice over the other and bake the croque monsieur for 15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 469 calories, Carbohydrate 62 calories, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 12 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sugar 11 grams, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams
SMOKY EGGPLANT CROQUETTES
By placing whole, unwashed, plain and naked globe eggplants directly onto the stovetop burner grate and letting them burn until charred, hissing and collapsed, you bring a haunting smokiness and profound silkiness to the interior flesh that will have you hooked for the rest of your life. This way of cooking eggplant is a revelation in itself - easy, yet exciting and engaging - and requires nothing more of the home cook than a little seasoning at the end to be enjoyed, as is. But biting into a warm, crisp, golden fried croquette with that smoky, silken purée at its center is what restaurant-level complexity and satisfaction is all about. One key ingredient, but 11 steps to prepare it - that about sums up the difference between home cooking and restaurant excitement.
Provided by Gabrielle Hamilton
Categories finger foods, vegetables, appetizer, side dish
Time 9h30m
Yield About 16 croquettes
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Place the whole eggplants directly on the burner grids of the stovetop, and turn the flames to high. Let each eggplant start to blister, and steam, and char, turning each one a quarter turn every 3 or 4 minutes, until softened and hissing inside, the skins utterly blackened and cracked, and the flesh collapsing, 12 to 15 minutes. (You could also blister them under the broiler, set on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet a couple of inches from the heat and cook until charred all over.)
- Remove the eggplants to a bowl. Cover with a lid or overturned bowl, and let them rest until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Give this the time it takes; it will help with peeling them later and also lets them steep in their smoky juices. You can do this step ahead and let them cool in the refrigerator overnight as well, to be peeled the next day, which works beautifully.
- Remove the scorched, carbonized skin from the soft, cooked-through eggplant. Discard all the black, bitter charred bits.
- Strain the remaining eggplant, and save all the viscous smoky liquid that accumulates. I usually "rinse" the peeled eggplants in this strained liquid to remove any lingering flakes or chips of charred skin from the eggplant flesh. (Sometimes people are tempted to run the eggplant under the faucet for a second to remove the flecks, but using the liquid in the bowl is much better at retaining flavor.)
- Chop the flesh to a fine dice, and place in a bowl. (I generally never remove the seeds unless I have bought an intensely loaded eggplant, in which case I'll remove them if the seed sacs are pronounced and distracting.)
- Stir in 3 tablespoons of the reserved smoky liquid, and the olive oil, then Microplane the garlic into the mixture. Season with salt, and stir well until the mixture is a bit creamy. Taste, and season to your palate by adding a few more drops of the smoky liquid or a few more of olive oil. I like mine rather smoky, rather salty, rather unctuous.
- Spread the eggplant mixture into an 8-inch square, about 1/2-inch thick, on a quarter sheet pan lined with a quarter-cut Silpat mat. Most people will not have these two things, so alternatively you can form a neat square or rectangle on a cookie sheet, or spoon the mixture into generally quenelled shapes onto a cookie sheet. Freeze overnight.
- Prepare the croquettes: Set up a standard breading procedure of three containers: flour, egg and water mixture, and the ground panko.
- Cut the frozen block of smoky eggplant into 2-inch squares, or batons or planks if you prefer. Refreeze for a bit if needed after cutting; they tend to defrost rather quickly. Bread each piece with care, dipping in flour, egg mixture then panko, leaving no bald spots, and refreeze the finished, breaded croquettes. (These can live in your freezer for months.)
- Add enough neutral oil to a deep-sided sauté pan to reach a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches, and heat over medium until shimmering, or when a thermometer reads 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry the frozen croquettes until golden on all sides and piping hot in the center, raising and lowering the heat under the oil accordingly. Adding frozen products to hot oil brings the temperature down, as does crowding, so it is up to the cook to control the temperature of the fry oil accordingly. Remove cooked croquettes with a slotted spoon, and drain on a baker's rack to maintain crispness (rather than a paper towel or plate, which will encourage steaming and sogginess).
- Sprinkle with a little salt while still very hot, and serve with a squeeze of lemon.
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
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.
EGGPLANT CROQUETTES
This recipe is one of many I have discovered to utilize the bountiful eggplant crop my garden has produced this year. The kids will even love eggplant this way!
Provided by Kelli Charnes
Categories Fruits and Vegetables Vegetables Eggplant
Time 35m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place eggplant in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium-high 3 minutes. Turn eggplant over and microwave another 2 minutes. The eggplant should be tender, cook another 2 minutes if the eggplants are not tender. Drain any liquid from the eggplants and mash.
- Combine cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, onion, garlic and salt with the mashed eggplant. Mix well.
- Shape the eggplant mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop eggplant patties one at a time into skillet. Fry each side of the patties until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be frozen before frying and cooked later.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 265.9 calories, Carbohydrate 23.6 g, Cholesterol 86.3 mg, Fat 14.4 g, Fiber 6.4 g, Protein 12.4 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 910.9 mg, Sugar 5.1 g
Tips:
- Choose small to medium eggplants for a perfect fit in the sandwich. Large eggplants may be too thick and difficult to cook evenly.
- Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds to ensure even cooking and a tender texture.
- Generously salt the eggplant slices and let them rest for 30 minutes. This step helps draw out excess moisture and prevents the eggplant from absorbing too much oil during cooking.
- Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels before cooking. This will help them brown nicely and prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Use a large skillet or griddle to cook the eggplant slices. This will help them cook evenly and prevent them from overcrowding.
- Cook the eggplant slices over medium heat until they are tender and golden brown on both sides. This may take 4-5 minutes per side.
- While the eggplant slices are cooking, prepare the other ingredients for the croque monsieur. This includes slicing the cheese, dicing the ham, and making the béchamel sauce.
- To assemble the croque monsieur, place a slice of eggplant on a piece of bread. Top with a slice of cheese, diced ham, and another slice of cheese. Repeat with the remaining bread and eggplant slices.
- Butter the top slice of bread and place it butter-side down in a hot skillet or griddle. Cook until the sandwich is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Conclusion:
With a crispy eggplant slice replacing the traditional bread, this unique sandwich offers a delicious twist on the classic Croque Monsieur. The tender eggplant, melted cheese, and savory ham combine to create a satisfying and flavorful dish that is sure to impress your taste buds. Experiment with various cheese and ham variations to find your perfect combination and enjoy this creative sandwich as a delightful brunch, lunch, or dinner option.
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