A twist on the toastie: how to make a croque monsieur

When I was little, toasties were my father’s domain. Many of his fillings cruelly haven’t made it on to mainstream toastie menus (tinned chicken curry was my mother’s favourite) – but his corned beef and onion one has stood the test of time in our household, and toasties remain a mainstay in my grown-up home.

The croque monsieur is the more cosmopolitan, French version of the toastie. A croque monsieur is ham and cheese between two slices of toasted bread, often with a bechamel sauce inside and on top, bubbling and golden. There are lots of variations: the most famous is the croque madame, in which a fried (or sometimes poached) egg is placed on top of the croque monsieur. Occasionally you may come across the croque Boum-Boum (with bolognese) or the croque Hawaiian (with a slice of pineapple).

Of course, it’s easy to dismiss a croque monsieur as a cheese toastie with pretensions, and it does take a little more time investment than its simpler cousin. But the combination of nutty, stringy gruyere, thick-cut ham and creamy bechamel has deservedly cemented the croque monsieur as a French classic.

Forget fancy sourdough – the best bread for this kind of sandwich is a soft, white bloomer. Aside from the fact it is traditional, you need to be able to bite through the bread with ease to prevent bechamel tidal waves. Now, I know you’re supposed to cut the crusts off, but I can’t bring myself to do it. It seems such a shame and a waste, especially when it means losing those little crispy bits of ham and crunchy bits of bread (and it makes me feel a bit like a child).

Technically, a bechamel shouldn’t have cheese in it (when you add cheese, it becomes a sauce mornay), but if you’re going to ask me to make a white sauce, and hand me a piece of gruyere, you’d best believe I’m going to grate it in there – and anyway, the French often do the same, so I think I’m safe.

For the croque madame variation, serve with a fried egg on top.

Makes Two sandwiches

Takes 10 minutes

Bakes 5 minutes

What you need

For the cheese sauce

20g butter

20g plain flour

200ml whole milk

20g gruyere, grated

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

For assembly

20g butter

2 slices of good quality sliced ham

4 slices of a soft white bread

1 tablespoon grated gruyere

1. First, make the bechamel sauce. Melt 20g butter in a small pan and add the flour. Stir to combine and cook over a medium heat until it begins to sizzle. Add the milk bit by bit, stirring it in with a whisk to avoid lumps. Stir in the mustard and the grated cheese, and set to one side.
2. Set the grill to a medium heat. Melt the remaining butter and paint it on to one side of each slice of bread, and place them on a tray, butter side up. Grill just until they have taken on some colour and crisped a little.
3. Now build your croque monsieur. Place one of the slices of bread, toasted side down, on the tray. Place a slice of the ham and third of the sauce on the untoasted side of the bread, spreading the bechamel to the edges of the bread, and place a second slice of bread on top, toasted side up. Repeat with the second sandwich, and then divide the remaining sauce between the tops of the sandwiches, and sprinkle with gruyere. Grill for just a few moments until the gruyere and bechamel has melted and bubbled, and any bits of ham that stick out beyond the sandwich have crisped. Serve hot.