How to Make Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur?
Learn how to make and authentic French Croque Monsieur while learning some French vocabulary!
This cheesy and simple sandwich is the perfect Sunday dinner. It goes perfectly with a side of salad and pourquoi pas some home fries. This is a classic bistro food and the easiest way for parents to make dinner or lunch for the kids. In this recipe we are going the classy way and learning how to make a traditional Croque Monsieur with the famous Sauce béchamel!
Where Does Croque Monsieur Come From?
Well, it does come from France and is a typical dish in French Bistros, because it is fast to make. By the way, did you know that the word Bistro comes from the Russian word býstro, meaning “quickly”? When France was occupied by Russia in 1814, Russian soldiers use to come to French restaurants and asked for the food to be made quickly, hence the creation of bistros. So Croque Monsieur made their apparition around 1910 in several bistros and were mentioned by Marcel Proust himself in his book À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs.
This simple sandwich evolved from a simple cheese sandwich to a more exquisite recipe when béchamel sauce was added. It also developed a feminine counterpart with the Croque Madame, which adds an egg à cheval (on top). Some families (AKA mine) used to prefer to put a slice of tomato on top instead of an egg, to make it “healthier”.
Recipe of Croque Monsieur with Béchamel Sauce
Ingrédients (ingredients)
Pour la béchamel (for the béchamel sauce)
25 g de beurre (1.5 Tbsp of butter)
25 g de farine (1.5 Tbsp of flour)
50 cl de lait (2 cups of milk)
sel, poivre, muscade (salt, pepper, nutmeg)
Pour le Croque Monsieur
8 tranches de pain de mie complet (8 slices of whole wheat bread)
125 g de Comté fraîchement râpé ou Cantal ou gruyère (1/2 cup of Swiss Cheese)
30 g de beurre (2 Tbsp of butter)
200 g de jambon blanc (8 -10 slices of ham)
Noix de muscade (nutmeg)
Sel (salt)
Commencez par la sauce béchamel. Dans une casserole, faites chauffer le beurre et une fois fondu, ajoutez la farine. Mélangez jusqu’à l’obtention d’un roux. Ajoutez le lait tout en remuant et continuer de mélanger pour que le mélange épaississe. Ajoutez du sel, du poivre et de la muscade salon votre got. Start with the Béchamel Sauce. In a sauce pan, heat the butter and use a whisk to make it melt. Keep on high heat. Once the butter is melted, quickly add the flour and whisk until all is turning into a roux. Then add the milk while whisking and keep mixing until it thickens. Then as salt, pepper and the nutmeg to taste. Set aside.
Placez 4 tranches de pain de mie et beurre-les. Ajoutez une fine couche de sauce béchamel et placez le jambon et le fromage rapé. Placez une autre tranche de pain pour fermer le croque monsieur. Lay 4 slices of bread and butter them. Add a thin layer of béchamel sauce, then add the ham and put the cheese on top. Put another slice of bread on top.
Ajoutez de la sauce béchamel sur le dessus du sandwich et ajoutez-y du fromage râpé. Faites cuire 10 minutes à 180 degrés Celsius. Add béchamel on top and grated cheese and put in the over for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Envie d’un Croque Madame? Ajoytez un oeuf (au plat) sur le dessus et voilà ! Want to make it a Croque Madame? Add an over-easy egg on top and voilà!
Bon Appetit!
Let us know how much you love Croque Monsieur in the comments below and don’t hesitate to ask questions or add fun facts, and share with a friend!
French Recipes For a Holiday Party
Everything you need for easy, at-home dishes that will wow your holiday guests.
When it comes to throwing an amazing holiday party, food can make or break your guest's experience. So why not impress them with some delicious French hors d’oeuvres, main courses, and desserts? Pictured below are some yummy French recipes we love and found while scouring the web. Give them a try and make sure to post your photos online using hashtag #JPLingo. Bonne lecture et bonne cuisine!
Entrée (Appetizer)
Smoked Salmon on Toast
This classic French snack is usually a favorite for guests to nibble on before the main course. Jamie Oliver's recipe below utilizes smoked salmon, horseradish and cress toasts...yum!! Click here for the recipe.
Recipe and photo credit: Jamie Oliver
Recettes Saint Jacques
Want to WOW your guests? Try making these elegant starters from L'atelier Des Chefs. Click here for the recipe (as pictured below).
Recipe and photo credit: L'atelier Des Chefs
Pain Surprise
Pain Surprise could include a number of different ingredients depending on which surprise you would like inside of the bread. One simple and delicious option is ham and cheese (as pictured below). This recipe comes from CuisineAZ and can be found by clicking on this link.
Recipe and photo credit: CuisineAZ
Les Plats Principaux (The Main Course)
Dinde Aux Marron (purée de céleri)
This main dish is ideal for the holiday season. As with most French dishes, the sauce is a big component in bringing flavor to the meal. The recipe below includes a celery puree which is a perfect compliment to this dish. Check it out by visiting this link from Journal Des Femmes.
Recipe and photo credit: Journal des Femmes
Gambas
If your guests enjoy seafood, then this shrimp filled platter is a perfect option. It features sweet and spicy to give a nice kick to your overall meal. The image and recipe below comes from Voyage Gourmand and you can visit their site here to learn how to make a great gambas.
Recipe and photo credit: Voyage Gourmand
Gigot D'agneau
This roasted lamb is another classic for the holidays. It is often called the Easter Lamb and can be found on the EasyFrench website here.
Recipe and photo credit: EasyFrench
Les Desserts (Dessert)
Buches De Noel
This dessert is one you will commonly see in the shape of a log at a holiday party. You can be creative by adding fun decorations like mushrooms atop the log (as seen in the image below). Check out the recipe from Marmiton here.
Recipe and photo credit: Marmiton
Café Gourmand
Café Gourmand includes desserts consumed with coffee at the end of the meal. There are many options to include with coffee and you can find a nice selection of recipes from L'express Styles here. (All images and recipes below are copyright of L'express Styles).
We hope you enjoyed this delicious array of recipes in French Recipes For a Holiday Party! We hope you have a wonderful (French-inspired) holiday season with your guests. If you are looking to learn more French language and culture, don't forget to check out our French Private Lessons, French Group Classes, and our cultural events on our JP Linguistics website. Bonne Journée!