This sandwich has haunted me in all the right ways since I got home from Paris. That and all the magical wine, sigh. It really is the most romantic city.
My husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Germany and France in 2019. The trip was an absolute dream come true. All the amazing cuisine we ate it was this simple little sandwich at beautiful bistro, right to the side of Chateau de Versailles that stole my heart.
The town was beautiful and the palace was even more gorgeous than I could have imagined. Something my husband and I observed while being in France was the hospitality. Everyone so kind and very concerned that we were happy with all parts of our stay. The establishment, the food, and the service. It was unlike anything I have seen and made me feel very important.
Our server at the bistro was a very young man, maybe 19? He spoke as much English as I do French which is nothing more than a few greetings and random words. Even so he was so attentive and when he brought my Croque Monsieur my mouth dropped! This is no basic ham and cheese sandwich! This bad boy had a bubbly layer of béchamel sauce covering the crunchy thick slices of French bread. Then filled with ham, parmesan, and gruyere cheese. I was not prepared for this simple lunch to give me uncontrollable cravings for this meal but here I am haha.
I added garlic and nutmeg to my béchamel sauce and it is everything I hoped it would be!
This recipe makes 4 servings. Lets get started!
Ingredients:
- Loaf of French bread, sliced into 8 pieces
- 2 cups gruyere cheese , grated
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 12 ounces of ham
- 4 tbsp. butter, softened
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- Spicy brown mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
First start by making the béchamel sauce. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a small saucepan on medium heat, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper, garlic, and nutmeg. Next add the milk a little at a time whisking between. Continue to whisk and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat, add the parm cheese and 1/2 cup of the gruyere. Mix until melted and set aside.
Now its time to assemble the sandwiches.
Cut the bread, spread the remaining butter on the outsides of the bread. Next the spicy mustard on one side of the 4 bread slices. Divide the ham evenly on 4 slices, next top with a handful of cheese (leaving a little to top the sandwiches)
Heat a cast-iron pan to med-high heat, or sauté pan. Put the assembled sandwiches into the pan and cook until browned on both sides.
Next add a heaping spoon-full of béchamel sauce on top of each sandwich , top with remaining cheese, and place under the oven broiler for 5 minutes, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
Plate with a small salad and French fries, or soup! Take that first bite and let it carry you off to Paris!
