The Fanciest Easy Ham & Cheese Sandwich You Can Make (Croque Madame)

Gruyère cheese

🥗Healthier: low-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: Emmental cheese

Emmental is often less expensive and still melts well.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier and adds a different flavor.

ham

🥗Healthier: turkey ham

💰Cheaper: bologna

Turkey ham is lower in fat, while bologna is often cheaper.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: soy milk

Almond milk is a lower-calorie alternative, while soy milk is often more affordable.

Grab a small saucepan and place it on the stove over medium heat.

Add 30 grams of butter to the saucepan and let it melt.

Once melted, add 10 grams of all-purpose flour and stir to combine, creating a thin roux.

Cook the roux over medium heat for about a minute, until the raw edge of the flour is sizzled off.

Add 240 grams of whole milk to the roux and bring it up to a simmer, stirring until it thickens slightly.

Lower the heat to its lowest setting and add 60 grams of cave-aged gruyère cheese and 30 grams of aged parmesan cheese, stirring to combine until melted.

Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 5 grams of salt, a pinch of white pepper, and about 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg.

Set the Mornay sauce aside to keep warm.

Prepare thick slices of homemade white bread, about 3/4 inch thick.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and a small non-stick pan over medium-low heat.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter to the non-stick pan and let it melt.

Brush the melted butter liberally on both sides of the thick slices of bread.

Transfer the buttered bread to the sauté pan and toast on the first side for about a minute, pressing down with a spatula for even browning.

Flip the bread over after about 60 seconds to achieve good browning.

Lay down two very thin slices of Black Forest ham on the toasted side of the bread.

On top of the ham, add one thin slice of not aged gruyère cheese on each side of the sandwich.

Allow the sandwich to cook gently while you prepare the egg.

In the same pan used for the butter, crack one egg and cook it to your desired doneness.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens