Name: Croque Monsieur
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 slices of 8-slice-cut bread; 3 slices of cooked ham; Mixed cheese; 230ml Milk; 20g All-purpose flour; 20g Butter; 1 tsp Consommé granules; 1 pinch Salt

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Original: English

Croque Monsieur

by 食事処さくらの料理教室

Here's how to make a luxurious "Croque Monsieur." This recipe involves making a creamy béchamel sauce from scratch, then sandwiching it with ham and cheese before baking. It's an easy yet authentic dish that will bring an "at-home cafe" vibe to your meal.

Ingredients

Scale:

Main Ingredients (2 servings)

Seasonings

1 tsp Consommé granules
1 pinch Salt

Steps

Measure out 20g all-purpose flour and 20g butter for the béchamel sauce.
🕒 00:20
In 230ml milk, stir in 1 tsp consommé granules and 1 pinch salt.
🕒 00:52
Place 20g butter in a frying pan. Before heating, microwave the milk mixture for 1 minute to warm it. **(Key Tip!)** Cold milk is more likely to form lumps, so warming it is crucial.
🕒 01:30
Heat the frying pan over low heat and slowly melt the butter. **(Key Tip!)** Increasing the heat will brown the butter and color the sauce brown. Melt it patiently over low heat.
🕒 01:40
Once the butter has melted, add 20g all-purpose flour and mix to coat the butter.
🕒 01:59
When the flour has incorporated and no longer looks powdery, turn off the heat to prevent burning.
🕒 02:09
Gradually add the warmed milk, mixing it into the flour with the residual heat of the pan.
🕒 02:17
Once the pan has cooled down slightly, return to low heat. Add the milk little by little and continue mixing until it's no longer watery. **(Key Tip!)** Adding too much milk at once will create lumps. Add it in small amounts and mix with a spatula as if kneading to achieve a smooth sauce.
🕒 02:37
When about half of the remaining milk has been added, incorporate the rest and bring to a boil while mixing thoroughly.
🕒 03:28
Once boiling, reduce heat to low and stir for about 1 minute to stabilize the thickness and cook out the powdery taste. **(Key Tip!)** Stirring thoroughly over low heat will result in a smooth sauce.
🕒 03:40
Turn off the heat and continue stirring for about 2 minutes to break up any lumps and create a smooth texture.
🕒 04:00
Prepare 4 slices of 8-slice-cut bread, 3 slices of cooked ham, and mixed cheese.
🕒 04:47
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
🕒 05:15
Spread the béchamel sauce evenly over 4 slices of bread, reserving about 1/3 of the sauce.
🕒 05:21
On 2 of the sauce-covered bread slices, place the 3 slices of cooked ham, torn into pieces.
🕒 05:40
Use the remaining béchamel sauce as an adhesive, spreading it over the ham.
🕒 06:05
Top with mixed cheese to your liking on the sauce-covered bread.
🕒 06:19
Place the cheese-covered bread slices on top of the ham-and-sauce-covered bread to create sandwiches.
🕒 06:27
Cover the assembled sandwiches with plastic wrap and gently press down to meld them together.
🕒 06:47
Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the 200°C (400°F) oven for 15 to 20 minutes. **(Key Tip!)** Baking until it looks slightly overdone will result in a wonderfully gooey sauce inside.
🕒 07:12
If desired, lightly torch the top with a kitchen torch for a smoky aroma and golden-brown finish.
🕒 07:47
Carefully cut the baked Croque Monsieur in half using the edge of a knife to avoid crushing it.
🕒 08:05
Plate and serve.
🕒 08:49