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

Croque Madame

Course: Brunch
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 488kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
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.
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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

Video

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