Croque Madame

Name: Croque Madame
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 slices thick-sliced white bread or pain de mie; 4 oz sliced deli ham; 1 cup Gruyere cheese (or Swiss), shredded, shredded; 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for bechamel); 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 cup whole milk; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; pinch ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tsp unsalted butter (for toasting bread), softened; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp unsalted butter (for frying eggs)

The French bistro classic: a ham and Gruyere sandwich blanketed in rich bechamel sauce, baked until golden and bubbly, then crowned with a sunny-side-up fried egg.

40 minMediumServes 2620 cal/serving

FrenchBreakfastStovetop and OvenStandardAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Ingredients

4 slices thick-sliced white bread or pain de mie
4 oz sliced deli ham
1 cup Gruyere cheese (or Swiss), shredded, shredded
2 tbsp unsalted butter (for bechamel)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp unsalted butter (for toasting bread), softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp unsalted butter (for frying eggs)

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Position a rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2

Make the bechamel: melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for bechamel) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 1 cup whole milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and pinch ground nutmeg. Remove from heat.
3

Lightly spread 2 tsp softened unsalted butter (for toasting bread) on one side of each of 4 slices thick-sliced white bread or pain de mie. Place buttered-side down on the baking sheet. Spread 2 tsp Dijon mustard on the unbuttered sides.
4

Divide half of 1 cup Gruyere cheese (or Swiss), shredded between 2 bread slices. Layer 4 oz sliced deli ham on top, then close the sandwiches with the remaining bread, Dijon-side in.
5

Spoon bechamel over the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere.
6

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Switch oven to broil for 2-3 minutes until deep golden brown.
7

Melt 1 tsp unsalted butter (for frying eggs) in a small non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Crack 2 large eggs into the skillet and fry sunny-side up until whites are just set, about 3 minutes.
8

Slide one fried egg onto each sandwich, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Questions

Can I make Croque Madame dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1 cup Gruyere cheese (or Swiss), shredded, shredded, 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for bechamel), 1 cup whole milk, 2 tsp unsalted butter (for toasting bread), softened, 1 tsp unsalted butter (for frying eggs). Swap the cheese for a plant-based melting cheese (expect a milder flavor); the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Croque Madame gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 4 slices thick-sliced white bread or pain de mie, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 tsp unsalted butter (for toasting bread), softened. Swap the bread or crumbs for a gluten-free loaf or gluten-free panko; the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Croque Madame keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat covered in a 300 F oven until warmed through.

Can I halve or double Croque Madame?

Yes. As written it serves 2. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,504 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.