When it comes to most things, but especially food, the French just seem to do it better. The French have managed to elevate the classic grilled cheese into something a little more elegant—the Croque Monsieur. The mustard and the béchamel sauce are what make this dish shine.
Ingredients:
Sandwich
- 2 slices crusty white
- 2 slices Gruyère or Emmental cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 thin slices smoked ham
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ handful of dill, chopped
Béchamel
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup cream
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon plain flour
- 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Fresh nutmeg, grated
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions:
- To make the béchamel sauce, place the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves, and onion in a small pan over a medium heat and stir together. Heat until almost boiling, then turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins to infuse. Pass the liquid through a sieve and discard the bay leaves and onion.
- Melt the butter with the flour in another pan and cook over a gentle heat. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring to a gentle boil, stirring regularly, then add the Dijon mustard, the grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The sauce should be thick and creamy.
- Spread butter on both slices of bread and layer the cheese and ham. Add the mustard and close the bread to form a sandwich.
- Pour the béchamel on top of the sandwich, and sprinkle the Parmesan and dill.
- Place the sandwich on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes on 400°F.
