Croque monsieur with ham and cheese
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Cook time: 
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Makes: 8 portions
 
Ingredients
Béchamel sauce
  • 60 gr butter
  • 60 gr white flour
  • 500 ml cold milk
  • 1 tspn lemon juice
  • ½ tspn nutmeg
Finish
  • 16 slices of bread
  • 8 slices of ham or bacon
  • 8 slices of cheese
  • 8 tbspn grated cheese
Instructions
Béchamel sauce
  1. Melt the butter. Add all the flour at once and stir together to form a roux. Cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes. Add some cold milk to the roux and stir with a whisk until smooth. Continue adding the milk until you have a smooth sauce.
  2. Return to a simmer, and cook for a couple of minutes to thicken. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice and nutmeg.
Finish
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Spread half of the slices of bread with a thin layer of béchamel sauce and add a slice of ham (or cooked bacon) and a slice of cheese.
  3. Spread the other half of the slices of bread with a thin layer of béchamel sauce and place sauce-side down on the filing. Press down gently to adhere.
  4. Spread the top with a thin layer of béchamel sauce and sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
  5. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for 10 min or until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted.
Stuff to know
This will make about 8 portions.
These croquet monsieur are great served at lunch time or as a savoury snack with some salad.
Replace the white sauce with butter for a quicker version
Use white or brown bread.
The French name for this creation is croque monsieur. With a baked egg on top, it becomes a croque madame.
Recipe by Jeroen Valkenier Recipes at https://jpvalkenier.com/croque-monsieur-with-ham-and-cheese/