Croque Madame Casserole Recipes

FRENCH TOAST CROQUE MADAME CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan.
• Whisk together the half-and-half, vanilla, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large mixing bowl.
• Lay 7 slices of bread in a single layer on a cutting board. Sprinkle 2 heaping tablespoons Gruyere on top of each slice. Top each with 2 slices of ham, folding the ham as needed to fit. Place the remaining 7 slices bread on top to form 7 sandwiches. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally. Dip both sides of each sandwich half into the custard mixture and transfer to the prepared baking pan, arranging in 2 long shingled rows. Pour any remaining custard over the sandwiches and sprinkle the remaining Gruyere on top.
• Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray. Place the foil sprayed-side down on top of the baking pan, crimping the sides of the foil around the pan to seal. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly, about 10 minutes more. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the top is light golden brown, another 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Crack 3 eggs into the pan (it's okay if they run together) and lightly sprinkle with salt. Cook until the whites start to set, 1 to 2 minutes, then cover and continue cooking until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 3 eggs.
• Divide the casserole among 6 plates, dust with confectioners' sugar, top with the maple syrup or jam if using and finish with a fried egg on top.

CROQUE MADAME CASSEROLE WITH HAM AND GRUYèRE

Steps:

• Arrange racks in top and middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. If bread is not a day old or still feels moist, arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, flipping once, until dry to the touch but not toasted, 5-10 minutes. Using a 2" ring or cookie cutter or sharp paring knife, cut a hole in the center of 6 bread slices. Trim bread to fit in 2 even layers in a 13x9" baking dish, with the whole slices on the bottom and the slices with holes on the top, forming 6 sandwiches. Remove from dish.
• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until butter foams then subsides (make sure it doesn't brown), and mixture is light gold and thickened, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, whisking, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 4-6 minutes. Reduce heat to very low. Whisk in nutmeg, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper into the Béchamel sauce. Whisk in 1 cup Gruyère a handful at a time, making sure cheese is melted before adding more. (Béchamel with cheese added is technically called a Mornay sauce.) You should have about 3 1/2 cups of sauce.
• Spread one-third of the Béchamel in the dish. Arrange 6 whole slices of bread in a single layer in dish. Spread Dijon evenly on bread. Top each with 2 slices of ham, folding to fit on bread if necessary.
• Spread another third of the Béchamel over ham. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup Gruyère. Place 6 bread slices with holes on top to form 6 sandwiches. Spread remaining Béchamel over sandwiches; sprinkle with 1 cup Gruyère (avoid holes to save room for eggs).
• Crack 1 egg into each hole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Gruyère. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray. Place foil, oiled side down, over baking dish, crimping to seal. Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove foil, increase oven temperature to 400°F, transfer dish to top rack, and bake until egg whites are just barely set and yolks are still runny (eggs will continue to cook slightly when removed from oven), 8-12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

CROQUE MADAME CASSEROLE - PAULA DEEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.(or larger dish)
• Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Pour a thin layer of the sauce into the prepared baking dish and cover it with 5 or 6 slices of the bread, then slices of the ham and an even layer of the Gruyere.
• Repeat the layers once more, ending with a third layer of sauce to cover all.
• Bake the casserole for 30 minutes.
• Working in 2 batches, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Crack 3 eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the whites are nearly set, about 3 minutes.
• Carefully flip the eggs and continue cooking until the whites are slightly set, they will cook more under the broiler.
• You're going to top portions of the casserole with a fried egg. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs.
• Top with Gruyere and put in the oven for a few minutes until cheese melts, watching carefully so it does not burn.
• Cut into 6 pieces so each has an egg and serve.

CROQUE-MADAME

Steps:

• Preheat a two-sided electric griddle on medium-high to high for about 20 minutes, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees and preheat a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bechamel sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. When bubbles have subsided, add flour and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, and cook until thick. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
• Spread two slices of bread generously with sauce. Lay two slices of ham on top of each, and top each with a slice of cheese; ham and cheese should slightly overlap edges of bread. Top each with a slice of bread.
• In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a skillet with little butter. Slide one fried egg onto each sandwich. Serve hot.

CROQUE MADAME HOT DISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with butter.
• Spread the bread on a large baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until dry and very lightly toasted.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until a paste forms and it starts to bubble, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and no floury taste remains, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the toast in the baking dish and spread half the remaining sauce on top. Scatter half the ham and cheese on the coated bread. Repeat the layering one more time with the remaining bread, sauce, ham and cheese.
• Bake the hot dish for 15 minutes, until hot and the cheese has melted. One at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl, then slide them onto the hot dish so that the whites spread a little and the yolks sit in little divots; use the back of a spoon to make divots if the arrangement of your bread doesn't naturally make them. Bake the hot dish for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny. Serve hot, sprinkled with more salt and pepper.