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| Nutritional Information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 552 | Calories |
| 41g | Fat |
| 20g | carbohydrates |
| 27g | protein |
View full nutrition label
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| Nutritional Information | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 2 to 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 552 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 41g | 52% |
| Saturated fat 23g | 115% |
| 217 mg | 72% |
| 940 mg | 41% |
| 20g | 7% |
| Fiber 1g | 3% |
| Total sugar 4g | |
| 27g | |
| Vitamin C 0 mg | 0% |
| Calcium 570 mg | 44% |
| Iron 2 mg | 11% |
| Potassium 267 mg | 6% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) indicates how much a nutrient in a food portion contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories per day is used for general nutritional advice. | |
(Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
The deliciously rich and cheesy Croque Madame sandwich is a variation of the famous Croque Monsieur. The Croque-Madame is similar to the Croque-Monsieur in almost every way. Both include ham, a creamy béchamel sauce and Gruyère cheese, but the croque madame is finished with a fried egg. The runny egg yolk adds rich flavor to this rich sandwich.
Meet Mr. and Mrs. Crunch
Interesting fact: “Croque-Monsieur” means Mr. Crunch, while “Croque-Madame” means “Mrs. Crunch” means.
This hot sandwich makes every occasion extra special. Serve a croque madame for breakfast or brunch, or make a portion for dinner and serve with a side salad. Don't forget a knife and fork – this isn't a sandwich you can just pick up.
Pay attention to mise en place and timing
It is important that you read the recipe carefully and have all ingredients, pans, and utensils ready. It's a quick and easy preparation, but the recipe includes several time-sensitive cooking steps.
What does a Croque Madame contain?
Here you will find everything you need to prepare a classic Croque-Madame.
Bread: For your sandwich, choose a bread that is slightly soft and not too thick. Sliced brioche or country-style bread are excellent choices, or use your favorite sourdough or white sandwich bread.
Ham: Use thinly sliced leftover baked ham or high-quality deli ham for these sandwiches. French-style Jambon de Paris is a good choice.
Béchamel: Béchamel is a simple white sauce that is so much more than the sum of its parts (which are simply butter, flour, milk and a few spices). It adds a wonderful creaminess to the classic Croque-Monsieur and Croque-Madame.
Cheese: Both the Croque-Monsieur and Croque-Madame typically contain nutty Gruyère cheese and sometimes Parmesan, as in this recipe. All of the Parmesan and half of the Gruyère are stirred into the béchamel sauce – the addition of cheese technically turns the béchamel sauce into a Mornay sauce. Then the rest of the grated Gruyère is sprinkled into the sandwich to form a gooey, melted layer of delicious goodness.
Dijon mustard: Although optional, brushing Dijon mustard on the sandwich adds a wonderful spiciness that pairs well with all the rich ingredients.
Butter: You will need unsalted butter to make the béchamel sauce and prepare the sandwiches and fried eggs. It's a pretty buttery recipe, and that's one of the reasons it's such a treat!
Fried egg: Together with the Croque Monsieur bread, ham, cream sauce and cheese, the Croque Madame gets a fried egg topping. You can fry the eggs however you like, but a runny yolk adds even more luxury to this sandwich.
A “hat” is the only difference between a Croque-Monsieur and a Croque-Madame
As mentioned above, the only difference between a Croque-Monsieur and a Croque-Madame is that a Croque-Madame is topped with a fried egg. It is believed that the Croque-Madame gets its feminine name from the fact that the fried egg resembles a woman's hat.
“This deluxe sandwich is perfect for a special lunch or brunch. I used sliced French-style sandwich bread and thinly sliced culatello for the ham, which is similar to prosciutto. The result was incredibly rich, flavorful and filling. A sandwich could easily be shared between two people.” – Danielle Centoni
7 tablespoon unsalted butterdivided
1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
1/2 Cup milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher saltmore to taste
1 hyphen freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces sliced or grated Gruyère cheesedivided
4 slices bread
2 to 3 teaspoon Dijon mustardOptional
3 to 4 ounces thin sliced ham
2 large Eggs
Freshly ground black pepper, taste good
Gather the ingredients.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour to the butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Add milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of nutmeg and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the Gruyère cheese.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Arrange two slices of bread on a baking tray and spread with Dijon mustard if desired. Divide the ham between the two slices of bread.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Spread some of the thick cheese sauce over the ham, top with the remaining Gruyère and another slice of bread.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the surface of the sandwiches with a little melted butter.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Place the sandwiches, buttered side down, in the hot pan and brush more butter on top. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes on each side.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Place the sandwiches on the baking sheet and spread the remaining cheese sauce over them. Be sure to cover the edges to prevent the bread from burning.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven. Turn on the oven to grill. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a baking dish and then slowly add them to the pan.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. While the eggs are cooking, place the sandwiches under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and begins to brown.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Divide the sandwiches onto plates and place a fried egg on each. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
The spruce eats / Julia Hartbeck
Recipe variation
Instead of Dijon mustard, use a mustard-mayo spread made with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise.
