ontheedgeofeverything

Croque Monsieurs hold a special place in my heart, although, the sentimentality of them is a little odd. My Oma absolutely loved Croque Monsieurs, so that component of the relation is a bit more acceptable. The other reason why Croque Monsieurs are special to me is because there is a reference to them in an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and, if you watch the show, you know exactly which scene it is I am referring to.

On a side note, if you’ve never watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine, please go ahead and do so right now.

Anyway, I thought I would share a recipe to make some Croque Monsieurs from the comfort of home. This particular recipe comes from thepioneerwoman.com.

“Ingredients

“For the béchamel sauce:

• 4 Tbsp. salted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 cups warm milk

“For the sandwiches:

• 6 Tbsp. salted butter, at room temperature
• 12 slices hearty white sandwich bread
• 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 3/4 lb. ham, sliced (at least 12 slices)
• 1 lb. gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives, for sprinkling

“Directions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. For the béchamel sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and the foaming subsides. (Do not let it brown.) Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until well combined. Cook, whisking constantly, until the raw flour smell disappears, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly stream in the warm milk, whisking constantly until no lumps remain. Continue whisking over medium heat and occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan with a rubber spatula until the sauce thickens to a pudding-like texture, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface so it does not form a skin.
  3. For the sandwiches: Evenly spread about 1/2 tablespoon of butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 6 slices, butter-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Evenly spread about 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard on each slice of bread on the baking sheet. Place 2 folded slices of ham on top of the mustard. Sprinkle the ham with about ½ cup (2 ounces) of the cheese. Spread about 1 tablespoon of béchamel sauce on the unbuttered side of the remaining 6 slices of bread. Place the bread, béchamel-side down, on top of the cheese.
  4. Bake the sandwiches on the center rack of the oven until the bread is lightly golden and the cheese is starting to melt, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully flip the sandwiches. Bake the other side until lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and increase the oven temperature to broil.
  5. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of béchamel sauce on each of the sandwiches, spreading to completely cover the top slice of bread. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons (½ ounce) of the remaining cheese on each sandwich, topping the béchamel.
  6. Broil the sandwiches on the center rack of the oven, watching carefully and rotating the baking sheet as needed, until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 1 to 4 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle the sandwiches with fresh chives and pepper, and serve hot,” the recipe states.

Enjoy, my friends.

Photo by Adam Bartoszewicz on Unsplash