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Home » Recipe Index » Cele-Brunch

Croque Madame

Published: Feb 10, 2019 · Modified: Apr 18, 2025 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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A Croque Madame sandwich that has been split in half on a black dinner plate.

A Croque Madame is a delightful French sandwich that combines layers of savory ham and melted cheese, topped with a perfectly fried egg, making it an irresistible choice for a spectacular brunch at home. Serve with Crispy Hash Browns for an unforgettable meal, any time of the day!

A Croque Madame sandwich with a sunny side egg resting on top of it on a black plate.
Jump to:
  • 🍶 The Ingredients
  • 🧀 Substitutions and Variations
  • 👩🏼‍🍳 How To Make Mornay Sauce
  • 👨‍🍳 How To Make a Croque Madame
  • 🍽️ How To Serve
  • 🙋🏽‍♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
  • 🌞 Other Amazing Brunch Sandwiches
  • Croque Madame

🍶 The Ingredients

The ingredients may not be exotic, but their combination of simple elements like bread, ham, cheese, and a luscious mornay sauce creates one of the best sandwiches of all time. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.

The ingredients for a Croque Madame arranged on a wooden background, including slices of bread, ham, Gruyère cheese, eggs, and a small bowl of homemade mornay sauce, all neatly organized for easy preparation.

🧀 Substitutions and Variations

  • Bread – Go with your favorite sliced bread. We like the slices to be a bit thicker than standard sliced bread from the market. We purchase an unsliced round loaf of sourdough bread and then slice it with a serrated knife. Homemade Country White Bread will take your sandwich to another level!
  • Ham – Ham is a key component to this sandwich; however, feel free to change it up with sliced smoked turkey or even thinly sliced roast beef. Thin-sliced Black Forest Ham from the deli is wonderful, but so are thick slices from your leftover Holiday Ham!
  • Cheese – Gryuére is a semi-soft Swiss cheese that is commonly used in making a Croque Madame. However, regular Swiss cheese, Fontina, and White Cheddar are all great substitutions.
  • Mornay – Homemade mornay sauce is easy and can be made in advance. A substitution for it would be softened cream cheese or even plain yogurt.

Expert Tip

Dijon mustard is commonly used in the sandwich and works wonderfully with the Gruyére and Mornay sauce. It adds a subtle, but noticeable Dijon flavor. If you’re not a fan of Dijon, you can substitute good-quality mayonnaise or go with a combination of equal parts Dijon and mayo.

👩🏼‍🍳 How To Make Mornay Sauce

A person using a wooden spatula to stir flour into melted butter in a skillet.
  1. Step 1: Melt butter in a skillet and whisk in the flour to make a roux.
A person whisking milk into a skillet that has a flour and butter roux in it.
  1. Step 2: Whisk in the milk until smooth.
A person whisking a béchamel sauce in a large black skillet.
  1. Step 3: Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened
A person dumping grated Gruyére cheese into a skillet filled with a béchamel sauce.
  1. Step 4: Turn off the heat and stir in half a cup of grated Gruyere. 
A person using his finger to sprinkle black pepper into a skillet filled with a Mornay sauce.
  1. Step 5: Season with salt and pepper.
Mornay sauce being transferred from a skillet into a white ceramic bowl.
  1. Step 6: Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

👨‍🍳 How To Make a Croque Madame

Two toasted slices of sourdough bread on parchment paper in a baking sheet pan.
  1. Step 1: Slice the bread and toast it in a 425°F oven. 
A person using a butter knife to spread Dijon mustard over the tops of two toasted slices of sourdough bread.
  1. Step 2: Spread Dijon mustard over the tops of each slice of toasted bread.
A person sprinkling grated Gruyere cheese onto the bottom half of a Croque Madame sandwich that included bread, sliced ham, and mornay sauce.
  1. Step 3: On top of the Dijon, add a layer of ham, mornay sauce, and cheese.
A person sprinkling grated Gruyere cheese over the top of a Croque Madama sandwich that is resting on a cutting board.
  1. Step 4: Top with another slice of toast, and add another layer of mornay sauce and cheese. 
Two eggs being fried in a large black skillet and have been seasoned with salt and pepper.
  1. Step 5: Fry eggs in a little butter and season with salt and pepper.
A person transferring a sunny side up fried egg from a metal spatula to the top of a baked Croque Madame sandwich.
  1. Step 6: Bake until melty and lightly browned, and then top with fried egg.  

🍽️ How To Serve

  • This sandwich is perfect for brunch (or breakfast). However, it is so satisfying, it makes an amazing lunch or dinner sandwich!
  • Depending on how thick and large your slices of bread are, one sandwich is filling. You can easily cut the sandwiches in half.
  • We love to serve these with Easy Breakfast Potatoes and fresh fruit.

🙋🏽‍♂️ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Croque Madame and a Croque Monsieur?

They are very similar. The only difference is that the Madame has an egg on top, and the Monsieur typically does not. Sometimes, the Monsieur sandwich is dipped into an egg mixture and then cooked, similar to a Classic Monte Cristo.

What can be made in advance for a Croque Madame?

The Mornay sauce can be made hours in advance, even the previous night. The toast can be toasted a couple of hours in advance. You can even cook the eggs and keep them in a low-temp oven (for up to 1 hour). Have everything prepped up to 12 hours in advance (ie, shredding the cheese).

Can I top a Croque Madame with a poached egg instead of fried??

Absolutely! A poached egg is a fantastic substitution. See how to make the perfect poached egg with our Crab Cake Benedict!

A person holding half of a Croque Madame sandwich in his hand revealing the runny yolk from the egg on top.

🌞 Other Amazing Brunch Sandwiches

  • Two halves of a Monte Cristo sandwich one on top of the other on a small cutting board with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
    Classic Monte Cristo Sandwich
  • A sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich on a circular dark grey plate with hashbrowns in the background.
    Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
  • A person holding an egg mcmuffin copycat that has been wrapped in white wax paper.
    Egg McMuffin Recipe (Copycat)
  • Best-ever egg salad on a white plate with pickles nearby
    Best-Ever Egg Salad

Ready to make the best brunch sandwich this side of Paris? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and #HowToFeedaLoon

A Croque Madame sandwich with a sunny side egg resting on top of it on a black plate.

Croque Madame

This Croque Madam is French comfort food at it’s best. The Gruyere cheese sauce, with Black Forest ham, thickly toasted bread, topped with a fried egg is pure French perfection. Perfect served with a nice, lightly dressed green salad. Amazing.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Brunch
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 488kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Equipment

  • 1 large (12") non-skick skillet

Ingredients

For the Mornay Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk warmed
  • ½ cup Gruyere cheese shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

For the Croque Madame

  • 4 slices bread white or sourdough
  • 4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ lb ham sliced
  • 1 cup Mornay sauce
  • 1 cup Gruyere cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon chives finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

Make the Mornay Sauce

  • In a medium-sized skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat.
    2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Whisk in the flour, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes.
    2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Slowly whisk in the warmed milk, and cook, whisking and stirring frequently, until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
    1 cup whole milk
  • Remove from the heat and stir the cheese and the Dijon mustard (1 tsp).
    ½ cup Gruyere cheese, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
    Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, set aside and let cool.

Make the Croque Madame Sandwiches

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bread slices in a single layer. Toast in the oven, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
    4 slices bread
  • Spread the tops of the toasted bread with Dijon mustard.
    4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Add an equal amount of the sliced ham to 2 of the bread slices. Top the ham with ¼ cup of the Mornay sauce and then sprinkle on about a ¼ cup of the cheese.
    ½ lb ham, 1 cup Mornay sauce, 1 cup Gruyere cheese
  • Top with the remaining bread slices, Dijon facing down.
  • Spread the remaining sauce over the tops of the sandwiches, and sprinkle each with the remaining cheese.
  • Return the sandwiches to the baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melty and starting to brown slightly in spots.
  • While the sandwiches are in the oven, melt 2 tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Crack and add the eggs to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the whites have just set, about 2 to 3 minutes for sunny-side-up eggs.
    4 large eggs, Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • Remove the sandwiches from the oven and use a spatula to plate each one. Top with the fried eggs, and garnish with chopped chives, if desired. Serve at once.
    2 tablespoon chives

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video near the top of the recipe for visual guidance.
The Mornay sauce can be made up to 12 hours in advance. Keep in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge. The sauce will be very thick, but should still be spreadable. 
Poached eggs can be substituted for the sunny-side-up eggs. 

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcal
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

 

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Comments

  1. Anthony says

    July 22, 2020 at 2:42 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Love the all the black pepper on the egg;)

    Here is another <a href="https://www.thekitchencaboodle.com/recipes/cheesy-croque-madame/&quot; Cheesy Croque Madame Recipe. It’s one I used to make for lunch and brunch A LOT. We used either sourdough or brioche. SO GOOD!

    Thanks for the great post! Enjoyed it:)

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      July 22, 2020 at 11:44 am

      Wow! That looks amazing, Anthony! Love your blog!!! And thanks for the GREAT review!! We really appreciate that so much! Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
    • Barbara Snedegar says

      April 27, 2025 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Really fast and so yummy!! I toasted the bread in the Breville toaster oven to speed things up. I’m not a huge fan of mustard, even Dijon…I wonder how it would taste with mayo? My husband puts mustard on everything. Loved it.

      Reply
      • Kris Longwell says

        April 28, 2025 at 7:27 pm

        Hi Barbara! Go with mayo in place of the Dijon! You’ll love it!!

  2. Roman Fredlen says

    April 09, 2020 at 6:03 am

    5 stars
    This is a great example of how to cook food quickly and tasty.

    Reply
  3. lana says

    October 30, 2019 at 3:22 am

    Thank you

    Reply
  4. samedayessay says

    May 24, 2019 at 1:16 am

    Hi krislongwell 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your photo tips!! It has been awesome! Thanks again!
    PS: Great pics and great blog! You’re awesome!

    Reply
  5. James Maxton says

    May 13, 2019 at 4:49 am

    Your style is unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this blog.
    https://nwtechreview.com

    Reply
  6. Jack says

    February 18, 2019 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    Looks so yummy!!! Thanks for this recipe!
    I am a student and also a freelance writer (here at EduBirdie I combine my study and work) and I do not have much time, but I like to eat tasty and rich! Adorable recipe!

    Reply
  7. Blueskies says

    February 11, 2019 at 11:48 am

    you need to post a picture of the finished product. Can’t rate need to see the final picture

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      February 11, 2019 at 11:56 am

      HI there. Not sure what you mean. Do you not see an image of the finished dish in the cast iron skillet?

      Reply
5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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