The Ultimate Croque Monsieur is the result of countless tastings and research, both at home and abroad. This iconic French sandwich, a true comfort food, earns its title for a reason—and I believe this one surpasses them all.
If you’ve followed my blog, you know my love for grilled cheese runs deep. From my simplest version to indulgent twists like the grilled brie doughnut and the oyster mushroom with fontina, this croque monsieur fits right in.
Inspired by incredible croques I’ve had at places like Jeaune et Jolie, Sofitel Blossom, and Le Comptoir du Relais, each one brought its own unique spin to the classic and encouraged me to create my own.
Comté Cheese
Every ingredient plays a role, but the cheese is truly the star here. Made from unpasteurized cow’s milk, this cheese has an intoxicating aroma and a rich, earthy, complex flavor.
Production is highly regulated by the AOC (appellation d’origine de controllee) and must be made with the milk of French simmental cows. The regulations specify how many cows may be within a pasture, limits the fertilizers used and more. The feed must be fresh and their milk must be used within a limited amount of time after milking.
The cheese must be matured a minimum of four months and must pass a taste test by independent jurors. Those that pass the test earn the label Comté and may be matured up to 36 months. It is extremely difficult to find in the heartland of America, but you can get it on occasion at Whole Foods or mail order.
Let’s make the Ultimate Croque Monsieur!
The most traditional sandwich is made with bread, butter, béchamel, ham and comté cheese, but why stop there? For this recipe we begin with cream béchamel and add comté cheese to make a luxurious mornay sauce.
When the sauce is ready it’s time to build the sandwich. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper and pre heating your oven to 400.
Begin by lightly buttering two slices of white bread. Lightly toast them first if you like, but it’s not necessary. Spread a layer of mornay sauce over each slice, completely covering the bread edge to edge.
Place a paper thin slice of prosciutto ham on each half of the sandwich, then cover the ham with grated comte cheesé.
Close the sandwiches, then completely enrobe the top and sides of each one with additional mornay sauce. This avoids burning the crusts while baking.
Sprinkle more cheese on top and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted. Now, broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese on top, watching carefully to avoid burning the sandwich.
Remove from the oven, plate, then garnish with capers and dill weed. Serve immediately and pair with a glass of champagne worthy of the ultimate croque monsieur!
The Ultimate Croque Monsieur
A French ham and cheese sandwich with mornay sauce and comte cheese
Ingredients
- 4 slices white bread
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- 8 slices prosciutto ham – thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup comte cheese – coarsely grated – substitute gruyere or emmental if you must
- 2/3 to 1/2 cup comte mornay sauce – get the recipe HERE
- Capers – garnish
- Dill weed – Garnish
Instructions
- Make the mornay sauce and keep warm
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400
- Coat each slice of bread lightly with butter, then coat each slice with mornay sauce covering them edge to edge
- Add two slices of ham to each half a sandwich then sprinkle comte cheese to cover the ham
- Close the sandwiches, spread a generous layer of mornay on top taking care to completely cover the crusts and enrobe the sides of each sandwich.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted, then broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese on top, watching carefully to avoid burning the sandwiches
- Remove from the oven, plate, garnish with capers and dill weed. Serve immediately