The croque-monsieur is a French sandwich very easy to cook and a perfect meal for your lunchbox with a green salad! This is the traditional French recipe but you can imagine many variations.
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A piece of history about the Croque-monsieur
A croque-monsieur (French for « mister crunch ») is a baked ham and cheese sandwich. The dish originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack. A croque-madame (French for « mistress crunch ») is a variant of the dish topped with a fried egg.
The name is based on the verb croquer (« to bite, to crunch ») and the word monsieur (« mister »). The sandwich’s first recorded appearance on a Paris café menu was in 1910.
Ingredients for 4 Croque-monsieur
- 8 thin slices of sandwich bread
- 8 slices of ham
- Freshly grated Cheese (Gruyère, or parmesan)
- 4 tbsp of heavy whipping cream
Preparation of Croque-monsieur
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Place 4 slices of bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Top each with a piece of ham, a handful of cheese. Then, place remaining slices of bread on top.
- Then top with each croque monsieur with 1 tbsp go heavy whipping cream and the remaining cheese.
- Finally, bake at 425 °F for about 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted, and then turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese on top is golden, 2-4 minutes.
Variants of the sandwich with substitutions or additional ingredients are given names modeled on the original croque-monsieur, for example:
- Croque provençal (with tomatoes)
- Croque auvergnat (with bleu d’Auvergne cheese)
- Croque norvégien (with smoked salmon instead of ham)
- Croque tartiflette (with sliced potatoes and Reblochon cheese)
- Croque bolognese (with Bolognese sauce)
- Croque señor (with tomato salsa)
- Croque Hawaiian (with a slice of pineapple)
If you need more ideas for your lunchbox, you should try our Quiche Lorraine recipe or our French club sandwich recipe!