**Crispy, cheesy, and oh-so-satisfying, croque madames are a classic French breakfast or brunch dish that is sure to impress. Similar to its cousin, the croque monsieur, these open-faced sandwiches feature toasted bread, ham, cheese, and a fried or poached egg, but with the addition of a creamy béchamel sauce that takes it to the next level.**
**In this article, we will provide you with two delicious recipes for croque madames. The first recipe is for a classic croque madame, made with a simple béchamel sauce. The second recipe is for a more decadent croque madame, topped with a luxurious Mornay sauce. Both recipes are easy to follow and can be made in under 30 minutes.**
**So, whether you are looking for a quick and easy breakfast or brunch recipe, or you are looking to impress your friends and family with a special dish, these croque madames are sure to hit the spot.**
**In addition to providing the recipes, we will also provide some tips on how to make the perfect croque madame. We will also discuss the history of this classic dish and some of the variations that you can try.**
CROQUE MADAME
This recipe is a favorite in my family! I take a French class and I bring these little sandwiches to the French meeting. This typical French delectable is always on the menu in little French cafes.
Provided by Jennifer James
Categories 100+ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Eggs Breakfast Sandwich Recipes
Time 15m
Yield 1
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the cheese once it is melted. Dip each slice of bread into the melted cheese, coating both sides.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place one slice of bread into the skillet and top with 2 slices of ham. Place the second piece of bread on top. Fry until golden on each side, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Fry the egg in the hot skillet to your liking: easy, medium, or well done. Place the fried egg on top of the sandwich and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 888.8 calories, Carbohydrate 32.5 g, Cholesterol 361.4 mg, Fat 64.2 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 45.3 g, SaturatedFat 38.4 g, Sodium 1417 mg, Sugar 3.7 g
CROQUE MADAME SANDWICH
Provided by Alex Guarnaschelli
Time 30m
Yield 4 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler.
- Make the bechamel sauce: In a small saucepan, melt 1 ounce butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until you smell the flour and butter cooking, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Add the milk and bay leaf and cook, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens like a soup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Parmesan. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Arrange 4 slices of the bread on a flat surface. Top each with 2 to 3 slices of ham. Mix together half of the Gruyere cheese and the bechamel sauce. Taste for seasoning. Spread a little of the sauce on top of the ham and top each with another slice of bread.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet and, when hot, add half of the remaining butter. Add 2 of the sandwiches and brown on one side, 2 minutes. Turn on the other side and brown 2 more minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches. Spread the remaining bechamel on top of the sandwiches and top with the other half of the Gruyere cheese.
- Wipe any crumbs from the cast iron skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet, leaving a little room between each. (Alternatively, fry 2 at a time). While the eggs are frying, place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the top becomes golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and top each sandwich with a fried egg. Serve immediately.
CROQUE MADAME HOT DISH
Croque madame is a classic French sandwich filled with ham and bathed in a warm, cheesy bechamel sauce. Add a fried egg and you've got croque madame. I've made this sandwich endlessly, but never for a group because you can only prepare them one at a time. Then I created this casserole--aka "hot dish," the Midwestern term--of white toast layered with bechamel, ham, and shredded Gruyere and topped with a few runny eggs.
Provided by Justin Chapple
Categories main-dish
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with butter.
- Spread the bread on a large baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until dry and very lightly toasted.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until a paste forms and it starts to bubble, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and no floury taste remains, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the toast in the baking dish and spread half the remaining sauce on top. Scatter half the ham and cheese on the coated bread. Repeat the layering one more time with the remaining bread, sauce, ham and cheese.
- Bake the hot dish for 15 minutes, until hot and the cheese has melted. One at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl, then slide them onto the hot dish so that the whites spread a little and the yolks sit in little divots; use the back of a spoon to make divots if the arrangement of your bread doesn't naturally make them. Bake the hot dish for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny. Serve hot, sprinkled with more salt and pepper.
CROQUE MADAME
Rustle up the sandwich of dreams, complete with melty cheese, ham and a fried egg. Our easy croque madame recipe makes a speedy supper or comforting brunch
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Main course, Snack
Time 15m
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and put oven on low. Put the ham and cheese between the bread slices and press to seal, then spread half the butter on the outside of the sandwich on both sides.
- Fry in the pan, pressing down with a fish slice, for 1-2 mins until golden then flip and cook the other side. Keep warm in the oven. Melt remaining butter in the pan and fry egg for 1-2 mins until cooked. Top the croque with the egg and serve with salad.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 783 calories, Fat 50 grams fat, SaturatedFat 28 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 51 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 2 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 35 grams protein, Sodium 3.54 milligram of sodium
CROQUE MADAME
This classic ham sandwich from France is drizzled with bechamel sauce and topped with fried eggs.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
Yield Makes 2 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler with the rack in the top position. In small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Whisk in flour and cook until lightly golden. Add milk and salt and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir into the sauce the nutmeg and half the cheese.
- Lay the slices of bread on a baking sheet. Divide the Dijon between 2 slices and top with ham. Divide half of the bechamel between the remaining 2 bread slices and top with remaining cheese. Close the sandwiches.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook both sides until bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes.
- Return sandwiches to the baking sheet, top with remaining bechamel, and place under the broiler until bubbly, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in the same skillet over high heat. Fry eggs, sunny side up, for about 2 minutes. Top sandwiches with fried egg, season with black pepper, and serve immediately.
CROQUE-MADAME
My son and I love having a croque-madame (a fried egg atop our grilled ham and cheese) for lunch. If eggs aren't your favorite, you can make the sandwich without it (which makes it a croque-monsieur). -Carolyn Turner, Reno, Nevada
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Breakfast Brunch Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Place half of the cheese on 8 bread slices; top with ham and remaining bread. Spread outsides of sandwiches with softened butter., On a griddle, toast sandwiches over medium heat 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Spread tops with mayonnaise; top with remaining cheese. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet; bake 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted., Meanwhile, for eggs, heat 1 tablespoon butter on griddle over medium-high heat. Break 4 eggs, 1 at a time, onto griddle. Reduce heat to low. Cook to desired doneness, turning after whites are set if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place eggs over sandwiches. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 758 calories, Fat 47g fat (24g saturated fat), Cholesterol 344mg cholesterol, Sodium 1691mg sodium, Carbohydrate 40g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 46g protein.
CROQUE-MADAME
This is a variation of Amanda Hesser's croque-monsieur, a ham and Gruyere sandwich topped with béchamel. Here, we invite you to pop a fried egg on top. Voila! A croque-madame (reportedly named such because the egg resembles a lady's wide-brimmed hat).
Provided by The New York Times
Categories dinner, lunch, quick, sandwiches, main course
Time 20m
Yield 2 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 9
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. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a skillet with little butter. Slide one fried egg onto each sandwich. Serve hot.
Tips:
- Use a good quality bread for your Croque Madame. A sturdy bread like sourdough or French bread will hold up well to the filling and sauce.
- Make sure your béchamel sauce is thick and creamy. A thin sauce will make your Croque Madame soggy.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different fillings. You can use ham, bacon, turkey, or even vegetables in your Croque Madame.
- If you don't have a grill, you can also cook your Croque Madame in a skillet over medium heat.
- Serve your Croque Madame immediately after it is cooked. The sandwich is best when the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted.
Conclusion:
The Croque Madame is a delicious and versatile sandwich that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With its crispy bread, creamy sauce, and melted cheese, the Croque Madame is sure to please everyone at your table. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give the Croque Madame a try.
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