croque-madames

I've been posting a lot of healthy recipes lately, so I think it's about time that I try something a little more indulgent. The croque-madame is the extravagant twist on the classic ham and cheese sandwich. It incorporates smokey, creamy Gruyère cheese, savory Dijon, salty ham and a thick, heavenly Mornay sauce. Oh yeah, and it's topped with a fried egg. This recipe makes 4 decadent servings and is courtesy of Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Ingredients: 
3.5 T butter, divided
2 T flour
11/3 cups milk
8 oz Gruyère, grated
2/3 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
8 thick slices white bread
3 T dijon mustard
8 thin slices baked ham
4 farm fresh eggs
Chopped chives to garnish

Preheat the oven to 450°.

For the Mornay: Melt 2.5 tablespoons of the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the milk, and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. As soon as brisk bubbles appear on the surface, bring it down to the simmer and allow to thicken for 4-5 minutes. Add half the Gruyère and all of the Parmesan, slowly whisking until melted. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Top 4 of the bread slices with two pieces of ham each and the remaining Gruyère. Place on a baking sheet with the remaining slices, open faced. Bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool on the sheet for 2 minutes. Slather the toasted naked slices with the mustard, then place on top of the loaded ones.

While the sandwiches are toasting, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan. Carefully crack each egg into the melted butter so that the yolk remains intact. Cover the eggs, and allow them to steam until the white sets and the yolk has a thin film over it.

Set the sandwiches on plates for serving. Ladle a generous amount of the Mornay over each sandwich, then slide one fried egg atop. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and chopped chives for a bit of color.

These sandwiches go wonderfully with the baked Herbes de Provence potato wedges.