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Croque Monsieur

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for spreading, room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
8 slices rustic French or firm white sandwich bread
1/4 cup Dijon or whole-grain mustard
1/2 pound cooked ham, thinly sliced
1/3 pound Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced, plus 1 cup freshly grated (about 2 ounces)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until just starting to bubble. Add the flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth but not browned, about 3 minutes.

    Step 2

    Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk; continue cooking while whisking until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat, and add salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and black pepper. Transfer to a bowl; place plastic wrap directly on surface of sauce, and set aside.

    Step 3

    Heat the broiler. Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Smear one side of bread slices with mustard. Top 4 slices with a layer each of ham and cheese; cover with the remaining 4 bread slices, pressing gently to adhere. Generously butter the outer sides, spreading all the way to the edges.

    Step 4

    Place the sandwiches on the griddle or in the skillet. Cook until the bread is golden brown and cheese has melted, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer to a work surface; divide béchamel sauce evenly over tops, spreading to edges; sprinkle with grated cheese.

    Step 5

    Transfer to the broiler, and cook until the cheese topping is melted and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

The cookbook cover with a blue background and fine typeface.
Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
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