Petite Croque Monsieurs
Recipe courtesy of Jake Smollett
- Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 servings (12 sandwiches)
- Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 439, Total Fat 27 g, Saturated Fat 12 g, Carbohydrates 28 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugar 4 g, Protein 20 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 952 mg
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Active Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette, cut into 1/4-inch slices (24 slices)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup country-style Dijon mustard
- 6 slices Black Forest ham
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- One 6-ounce block Gruyere cheese, shredded
Instructions
Transform simple ingredients into irresistible Petite Croque Monsieurscrispy, cheesy bites that capture the essence of French comfort food. Ready in just 30 minutes, these crowd-pleasers will have everyone reaching for more!
- Lay the bread slices out on a baking sheet and spread each piece with about 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place half of the bread slices (12 pieces), mayonnaise side down, in the pan and toast them until golden brown, roughly 3 minutes. Transfer the toasted slices back onto the baking sheet, toasted side down, and spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on each untoasted side.
- Fold each slice of ham into thirds, like folding a letter, then slice in half to create 12 squares. Arrange the ham squares on top of the mustard.
- Preheat your broiler to high.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and whisk until combined, cooking until it turns light brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, continuing to whisk until the sauce thickens, approximately 3 minutes. Season with the salt and nutmeg. Add the shredded Gruyere and whisk until fully melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spoon a tablespoon of this cheese sauce over each ham square, then sprinkle each with a teaspoon of the remaining Gruyere.
- Broil for 1 minute to melt the cheese and toast the remaining 12 bread slices (for the sandwich tops). Once done, remove from the oven, place the toasted bread atop each sandwich, and serve immediately for that perfect gooey, golden crunch.
