**Indulge in a Culinary Symphony of Flavors: Tomato Croque Monsieur and Its Delectable Variations**
In the culinary realm, few dishes can rival the sheer delight of a Croque Monsieur. Originating from the charming streets of France, this classic sandwich has captivated taste buds for generations. Picture perfectly toasted bread, layered with velvety béchamel, savory ham, and the unmistakable gooeyness of melted cheese. To elevate this masterpiece, we present a vibrant twist – the Tomato Croque Monsieur. This tantalizing recipe introduces a burst of tangy, juicy tomatoes, adding a refreshing dimension to the classic combination.
Our journey through the world of Croque Monsieur doesn't end there. We bring you an array of delectable variations, each with its unique flair. From the simplicity of the Croque Madame, adorned with a sunny-side-up egg, to the richness of the Croque Savoyard, featuring succulent mushrooms and gruyère cheese, your taste buds are in for a delightful adventure.
Whether you prefer the traditional Croque Monsieur or are intrigued by the innovative Tomato Croque Monsieur, our carefully curated recipes will guide you through the culinary process effortlessly. Each recipe is meticulously crafted with step-by-step instructions, ensuring success in your kitchen. Be ready to embark on a culinary adventure that will leave you craving for more.
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.
TOMATO CROQUE MONSIEUR
A delicious vegetarian version that pairs well with inexpensive but good red or white wines. If your tomatoes are not very moist you can omit some of the draining time, like I did. I made this with a processed gruyere cheese (which was all the store had) and Italian flavored bread crumbs. Can be served as canapes (quartered) or makes six sandwiches. Published in the New York Times.
Provided by Kumquat the Cats fr
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 1h
Yield 24 canapes, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- With a food processor running, drop in garlic until minced. Turn off machine and add tomatoes. Pulse until finely chopped. (This step can also be done manually if preferred, which is how I did it).
- Place mixture in a fine sieve over a bowl, stir in salt and allow to drain 30 minutes, pressing down on tomatoes from time to time.
- Transfer tomatoes to a bowl and stir in basil and breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Arrange half the bread slices on a work surface and spread with tomato mixture. Cover with a thin layer of the cheese and top with remaining bread.
- Film a large non-stick skillet with oil. Place as many sandwiches as will fit comfortably and fry over medium-low or medium heat, turning to brown both sides and pressing down lightly with a spatula until golden on both sides. (About 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side.) Remove to paper towel to drain.
- Repeat if necessary while finished sandwiches are kept in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven to be kept warm. Quarter sandwiches on the diagonal for canapes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 271.3, Fat 9.8, SaturatedFat 4.2, Cholesterol 20.8, Sodium 638.5, Carbohydrate 35, Fiber 3.3, Sugar 6.5, Protein 11.5
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
"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.
TOMATO CROQUE-MONSIEUR
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories appetizer
Time 30m
Yield 2 dozen canapés
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- With a food processor running, drop in garlic until minced. Turn off machine, add tomatoes to processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Place mixture in a fine sieve over a bowl, stir in salt and allow to drain 30 minutes, pressing down on tomatoes from time to time.
- Transfer tomatoes to a bowl, stir in basil and breadcrumbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Arrange half the bread slices on a work surface and spread with tomato mixture. Cover with a thin layer of cheese slices and top with remaining bread.
- Film a large skillet with oil. Place as many sandwiches as will fit comfortably in skillet and fry over medium heat, turning to fry both sides and pressing down lightly with a spatula, until golden on both sides. Remove sandwiches to paper towel to drain.
- Quarter sandwiches on the diagonal and serve, or place in a 200-degree oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 148, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 11 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 157 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CROQUE MONSIEUR
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 20m
Yield 3 sandwiches or 24 hors d'oeuvre - size pieces
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, mix the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and horseradish. Place a liberal layer of the cheese on 1 side of each of the 6 slices of bread. Place the ham and tomato slices on 3 of the pieces of the cheese topped bread, then top them with the remaining 3 slices of bread to form a sandwich. Place butter in a large saute pan over low to medium heat. Add the sandwiches to the melted butter and slowly brown them on both sides while allowing the cheese to melt inside. Cut the crusts from the sandwiches and then cut them crosswise into 8 hors d'oeuvre size portions. Serve warm.
CROQUE-MONSIEUR
Offer a plum-tomato salad with the sandwiches. Round out the meal with sliced strawberries drizzled with crème de cassis.
Categories Sandwich Broil Lunch Ham Swiss Cheese Bon Appétit Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes 2 servings; can be doubled
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Add nutmeg and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until sauce thickens, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat broiler. Place 2 bread slices on work surface. Top each with half of ham and sliced Gruyère. Top with remaining bread. Heat heavy large skillet over low heat. Brush sandwiches with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Add to skillet and cook until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to small baking sheet. Spoon sauce, then grated cheese over sandwiches. Broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
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
Tips:
- Choose ripe, juicy tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Use a good quality bread that will hold up to the heat and moisture of the sandwich.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different cheeses. A sharp cheddar or Gruyère are both great options.
- If you don't have a panini press, you can grill the sandwich in a skillet over medium heat.
- Serve the sandwich immediately with your favorite sides.
Conclusion:
The tomato croque monsieur is a delicious and easy-to-make sandwich that is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. With its crispy bread, melted cheese, and flavorful tomato filling, it's sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a satisfying and satisfying meal, give this recipe a try.
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