Croque Monsieur

Croque Monsieur
Makes 1 sandwich with extra sauce 

You’re inspired to make this French bistro sandwich and then you look up a recipe and realize you have to make a béchamel sauce… and you change your mind. Stop! It’s easy and I’ll show you. Then teach you this… béchamel is the base sauce of SO MANY things, i.e. fettuccine alfredo and mac and cheese so simply use whatever is left, on what’s for dinner. 

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated gruyère cheese, plus a bit more for inside the sandwich and garnish
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a bit more for inside the sandwich and garnish
1 teaspoon salt
2 slices bread, toasted
Dijon mustard
3-4 slices of deli ham

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Slowly add in milk, whisking as you go and continuing to whisk until smooth and no flour clumps remain. Allow the mixture to just simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and coating the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until cheese has melted and then season sauce with salt.

Preheat broiler. Slather one side of each piece of toast with mustard and shingle ham on one piece of toast. Top ham with a bit of gruyère and Parmesan and top with other piece of toast to create sandwich.

On the top of the sandwich, spoon béchamel to cover and sprinkle with more gruyère and Parmesan. Place sandwich on a sheet tray and broil until top is golden brown and bubbly.