Croque Monsieur Bake Recipes

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring well until the mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened.
• Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg. Set aside while you make the sandwiches, or make the sauce up to 1 week in advance.
• Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking tray with parchement paper and set aside.
• Spread each bread slice with a layer of béchamel, spreading it all the way to the edges. Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on prepared baking sheet.
• Top each with a piece of ham, a handful of gruyere, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Place remaining slices of bread on top, béchamel side up, then top with remaining gruyere and parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for about 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted, and then turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese on top is lightly golden, 2-4 minutes.

CROQUE-MONSIEUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees and generously butter a 9-by-13-inch (or 1 1/2- to 2-quart) baking pan. Butter the slices of bread on one side and spread a thin layer of mustard on the other side. Arrange, shingled, over the bottom of the pan, buttered side up; you may not need all the bread. Drape evenly with ham.
• Whisk together milk, half-and-half, egg, egg yolks and pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and ham. Sprinkle with Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses, allowing the ham to peek out in places. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (for the bread to sop up the milk) or up to overnight. Bake until the custard is set, and the bread and cheese are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to set 20 minutes before scattering evenly with parsley. Scoop and serve warm or at room temperature, with mustard and cornichons.

CROQUE-MONSIEUR CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease 13- x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish; set aside.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, chives, garlic, salt and pepper; pour 1 cup (250 mL) of the egg mixture into baking dish. Spread mustard over one side of each slice of bread. Arrange 4 bread slices in bottom of pan, mustard side up. Layer half of the ham slices, ½ cup Gruyère cheese and half of the spinach over top. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining bread, mustard side down, and Gruyère cheese.
• Pour remaining egg mixture over top; press gently to allow bread to soak up egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and set.

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter?flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
• To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
• Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

CROQUE MONSIEUR PIE

Steps:

• Grease a casserole dish and line with 6 slices of the bread. Top with half of the folded ham.
• Melt the butter in skillet over medium heat, add the flour and whisk 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of the milk and some nutmeg, and then season with salt and pepper. Cook to thicken, the sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the mustard. Spoon half of the thickened bechamel evenly over the ham, top with the remaining 6 slices bread.
• Whisk up the eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup milk, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs evenly over the casserole dish and then add the remaining ham and bechamel.
• Top with the gruyere, then cover and store for a make-ahead meal.
• When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake the casserole from room temperature until golden and firm, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut the casserole into squares and serve garnished with finely chopped parsley and mixed greens dressed with lemon juice and vinegar. Pass additional mustard at the table.

BAKED CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Remove the crust from the bread, if you wish. Place them into the greased baking dish, cutting slices in half, as necessary, to completely cover the bottom of the pan.
• Top with half of the cheese, the ham, sliced onion, and the remaining cheese; and the remaining bread.
• Press the sandwiches together.
• Beat the eggs, milk and seasoning together. Pour slowly over the bread.
• Cover and place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
• About 1 hour before serving, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and grated cheese. Sprinkle over the sandwiches.
• Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the eggs set.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

CLASSIC CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine milk and cream in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high power, about 90 seconds. The liquid should be warm to the touch.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and keep stirring until all the flour is coated in butter, and the flour and butter begin to bubble, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in warmed milk and cream and cook until sauce begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Continue stirring, until the sauce is thick and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown 4 pieces of bread on 1 side, about 4 minutes. Place browned bread on the prepared baking sheet, browned side down.
• Spread each piece of bread with Bechamel sauce, from edge to edge. Place two slices of deli ham on the Bechamel and top with 1/2 cup of grated Gruyere cheese. Place remaining bread slices on top of each sandwich and spread the top with Bechamel, from edge to edge. Sprinkle the top of each sandwich with 2 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Turn on the oven's broiler.
• Move baking sheet about 6 inches from the heat source and broil sandwiches until the top is bubbly and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully, to avoid scorching the parchment paper and burning the cheese. Allow the sandwiches to cool slightly, cut in half, and serve warm.

CROQUE MONSIEUR BAKE (NIGELLA LAWSON)

Steps:

• Spread the mustard on the bread slices and make sandwiches with the fine slices of cheese and ham; place each slice of cheese against the mustardy bread, and the ham between them.
• Make the sandwich and cut each one in half, making two triangles.
• Squish the sandwiches into a baking dish, approx 10 ½ inches x 8 ¼ inches and 2 ¼ inches deep.
• Beat the eggs, salt, and milk together; then pour over the sandwiches tightly packed into the dish.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
• In the morning, preheat oven to 400°; take the dish out of the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle over the grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce; bake for 25 minutes.