Croque Monsieur

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups whole milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

dash of ground nutmeg

8 thin slices white sandwich breads

5 ounces good quality ham (about 8 slices)

6 ounces Gruyere cheese (,or Emmental cheese, grated, about 2½ cups)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Béchamel sauce:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring well until the mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened.

Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg. Set aside while you make the sandwiches, or make the sauce up to 1 week in advance.

Assemble sandwiches:

Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking tray with parchement paper and set aside.

Spread each bread slice with a layer of béchamel, spreading it all the way to the edges. Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on prepared baking sheet.

Top each with a piece of ham, a handful of gruyere, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Place remaining slices of bread on top, béchamel side up, then top with remaining gruyere and parmesan cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees F for about 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted, and then turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese on top is lightly golden, 2-4 minutes.

Nutrition

• Calories: 658 kcal
• Total Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 19 g
• Cholesterol: 104 mg
• Sodium: 657 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 13 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 25 g