Croque Monsieur

These croque monsieur sandwiches are delicious and surprisingly easy to make. A perfect hearty lunch or dinner!

Guess what? Today is national grilled cheese day! We eat a lot of grilled cheese at our house, but I have to confess that we generally stick with the boring, super easy cheddar on wheat bread and call it good. Knowing that I was going to post today with my #celebratingfood blogger friends, though, I decided it was time to step up my grilled cheese game. I've been looking longingly at croque monsieurs on Pinterest for ages, but never quite pulled the trigger and tried one. It was definitely time! While they're a little more complicated than the basic grilled cheese I can whip up in 10 minutes or less, the level of deliciousness is just out of this world. Creamy béchamel and gooey gruyere over ham and toasted bread - yum!

Though it might seem like a lot of steps, it's really pretty simple and easy. First you'll make a nice béchamel, made even better with the addition of gruyere. It's definitely one of my favorite cheeses! I love that it tastes almost like a combination of swiss cheese and parmesan... so good!

Next you'll layer dijon mustard, thinly sliced ham, and more gruyere.

Top with a second slice of bread, then drizzle with the béchamel and additional gruyere. Looking good already!

Last, you'll bake the sandwiches in the oven for a few minutes, then broil until toasty and golden. That is some sandwich perfection right there!

These croque monsieurs are gooey, flavorful, and so delicious! The perfect grown up twist on a grilled cheese sandwich.

Croque Monsieur

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
8 slices french or italian bread
1/2 pound deli ham, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a paste. Cook 2-3 minutes, until golden. Slowly stir in the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and about 1 cup of the gruyere.

Toast the bread in the preheated oven for about five minutes per side. Spread half of the pieces of bread with a thin layer of dijon mustard, then top with ham and sprinkle with about half of the remaining cheese. Place the other slices of bread on top. Spoon the white sauce over the sandwiches, letting it drip down the sides and being sure to coat the whole sandwich. Sprinkle with the remaining gruyere. Bake 5 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve hot and enjoy!