Croque-Madame

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Steps to Make It.

Ingredients

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Nutritions

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PHP Directions

a:12:{i:0;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:21:"Gather Ingredients";s:4:"text";s:31:"Gather the ingredients."}i:1;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:29:"Melt Butter and Flour";s:4:"text";s:89:"Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to the butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly."}i:2;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:37:"Add Milk and Seasonings";s:4:"text";s:78:"Add the milk , 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened."}i:3;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:32:"Stir in the Cheeses";s:4:"text";s:72:"Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the Gruyère cheese."}i:4;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:47:"Prepare Bread with Mustard and Ham";s:4:"text";s:93:"Arrange two slices of bread on a baking sheet and spread with Dijon mustard, if desired. Divide the ham on top of the two slices of bread."}i:5;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:41:"Assemble the Sandwiches";s:4:"text";s:88:"Spread a bit of the thick cheese sauce over the ham, top with the remaining Gruyere and another slice of bread."}i:6;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:35:"Melt Butter in Skillet";s:4:"text";s:86:"Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with some of the melted butter."}i:7;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:35:"Cook Sandwiches";s:4:"text";s:83:"Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet, buttered side down and brush more butter over the tops. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown."}i:8;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:44:"Top Sandwiches with Cheese Sauce";s:4:"text";s:130:"Remove the sandwiches to the baking sheet and spread the remaining cheese sauce over the tops. Be sure to coat the edges to prevent the bread from burning."}i:9;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:40:"Prepare Eggs for Topping";s:4:"text";s:104:"Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Turn the oven to broil. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a ramekin then add them slowly to the skillet."}i:10;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:38:"Cook Eggs and Broil Sandwiches";s:4:"text";s:136:"Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. While the eggs are cooking, place the sandwiches under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and beginning to brown."}i:11;a:3:{s:5:"title";s:31:"Serve the Sandwiches";s:4:"text";s:118:"Remove the sandwiches to plates and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve immediately."}}

HTML Directions

1. 1

   Gather Ingredients
   

   Gather the ingredients.

2. 2

   Melt Butter and Flour
   

   Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to the butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. 3

   Thicken the Mixture
   

   Add the milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.

4. 4

   Add Cheese
   

   Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the Gruyère cheese.

5. 5

   Prepare the Bread
   

   Arrange two slices of bread on a baking sheet and spread with Dijon mustard, if desired. Divide the ham on top of the two slices of bread.

6. 6

   Add Sauce and Bread
   

   Spread a bit of the thick cheese sauce over the ham, top with the remaining Gruyère and another slice of bread.

7. 7

   Melt Butter
   

   Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with some of the melted butter.

8. 8

   Cook the Sandwiches
   

   Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet, buttered side down and brush more butter over the tops. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

9. 9

   Finish with Sauce
   

   Remove the sandwiches to the baking sheet and spread the remaining cheese sauce over the tops. Be sure to coat the edges to prevent the bread from burning.

10. 10

    Prepare Eggs
    

    Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Turn the oven to broil. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a ramekin then add them slowly to the skillet.

11. 11

    Cover and Cook Eggs
    

    Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. While the eggs are cooking, place the sandwiches under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and beginning to brown.

12. 12

    Serve
    

    Remove the sandwiches to plates and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

The lusciously rich and cheesy croque-madame sandwich is a variation on the famous croque-monsieur. The croque-madame is similar to the croque-monsieur in almost every way. Both include ham, a creamy béchamel sauce, and Gruyère cheese, but the croque-madame is topped off with a fried egg. The runny egg yolk adds a rich sauciness to this substantial sandwich.

This hot sandwich makes any occasion extra special. Serve a croque-madame for breakfast or brunch, or make a batch for dinner and serve with a salad on the side. Don't forget the knife and fork—this isn't a sandwich you can easily pick up.

What Does a Croque-Madame Contain?

Here's everything you'll need to make a classic croque-madame.

Bread: Choose a bread that's somewhat soft and not overly thick for your sandwich. Sliced brioche or country-style bread are excellent choices, or use your favorite sourdough or white sandwich bread.

Ham: Use thinly sliced leftover baked ham or good-quality deli ham for these sandwiches. French-style jambon de Paris is a great choice.

Béchamel Sauce: Béchamel is a basic white sauce that's so much more than the sum of its parts (which are simply butter, flour, milk, and a few seasonings). It adds a wonderful creaminess to the classic croque-monsieur and croque-madame.

Cheese: Both the croque-monsieur and the croque-madame typically contains nutty Gruyère cheese and sometimes Parmesan as well, as in this recipe. All of the Parmesan and half of the Gruyère are stirred into the béchamel—the addition of cheese technically transforms the béchamel into a mornay sauce. Then the rest of the grated Gruyère is sprinkled into the sandwich to create a gooey, melted layer of goodness.

Dijon Mustard: While spreading the sandwich with Dijon mustard is optional, it adds a wonderful sharpness that plays nicely against all the rich ingredients.

Butter: You'll need unsalted butter to make the béchamel and to cook the sandwiches and the fried eggs. It's pretty butter-forward recipe, and that's part of what makes it such a treat!

Fried Egg: Along with the croque-monsieur's bread, ham, creamy sauce, and cheese, the croque-madame gets a fried egg topper. While you can fry the eggs any way you like them, a runny yolk adds to the luxuriousness of this sandwich.

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