Croque Madame Sandwiches

5 from 30 votes

This French classic croque madame is basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with creamy homemade béchamel sauce and a runny fried egg. It's the ideal rich and savory weekend treat and it's made in 20 minutes!

Prep Time3

Cook Time18

Total Time21

Course: Brunch and Breakfast Recipes

Cuisine: French

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 885kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

Mornay Sauce

4 tablespoon butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
½ cup 58 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

Sandwiches

4 thick slices sturdy bread
1 tablespoon butter
Deli-sliced ham as much as you'd like
½ cup 58 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated

Fried Eggs

2 tablespoon butter
2 large eggs

Instructions

Mornay sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk constantly for about a minute. After about 2 minutes or when the mixture becomes bubbly, slowly add in milk.
Keep whisking until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon and can remain separated when you run a finger down it.
Season with salt, pepper, and whisk in dijon mustard.
Take off the heat, then add ½ cup of gruyere cheese and ¼ cup grated parmesan, whisking until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is thick and creamy. If the sauce gets a little too thick, add a splash or two of milk and whisk to thin to the correct consistency. Set aside.

Sandwiches

Preheat broiler on low.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat spread butter onto one side of each slice of the bread, then layer on the ham and shredded cheese and sandwich between the bread slices. Brown the sandwich on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
Generously cover the sandwiches with more mornay sauce and all the rest of the gruyere.
Place the baking sheet with sandwiches under the broiler. Leave to cook for about 3 minutes or until the bechamel sauce is browned. Keep an eye on it, DO NOT LET IT BURN.

Fried Eggs

While the sandwiches are broiling, melt butter in a nonstick skillet. Crack two eggs into two separate small bowls and add them into the pan one by one.
Cook for 3 minutes with a lid. Whites should be just set completely and the yolks should be runny, bonus points for no brown edges. Season with salt and pepper.
Carefully take the sandwiches out of the broiler and plate, topping each sandwich with a fried egg. Serve immediately.

Notes

Pro Tips for the Perfect Croque Madame Sandwich

Use a high-quality bread for the sandwich such as a rich and beautiful brioche or flavorful and study sourdough, don't use white sandwich bread it won't hold up to all the cheese sauce! I used a buttery croissant bread which was just *chef's kiss*!
Choose a high-quality cheese like Gruyere or Emmental for your mornay sauce, they melt easily.
For a crispy and evenly toasted sandwich, grill the sandwich on both sides before baking it in the oven.
If you're short on time, you can make a croque madame without baking it in the oven. Simply grill the sandwich until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy, pour the mornay on, then top with a fried egg.

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