Croque Monsieur Madam Food

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/ MADAM

Steps:

• Butter two pieces of normal, sliced, bread (yes, this is available in French supermarkets).
• Place a slice of ham cut to the size of the slice of bread, and some semi-hard cheese, on top of the first slice of bread (often gruyere cheese is used).
• Put the other piece of buttered bread on the top, squeeze it together, and put in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is toast.
• Adding a fried egg changes the name to Croque Madam.

CROQUE MONSIEUR AND CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• For Croque Monsieur: Spread each slice of bread with butter. Trim cheese so it is a tad smaller than the bread slices. Arrange 2 slices of cheese, top with bread and dip both sides of each sandwich in egg.
• In a skillet heat butter and brown the sandwich on each side for 3 minutes or until golden.
• For croque Madame: Wedge a slice of Black Forest ham in between each slice of cheese.

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Place a small sauce pot over medium low heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter in it. Whisk in a rounded tablespoon of flour and cook 1 minute or so. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble then drop heat to low. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Dijon. When sauce coats back of a spoon, turn off heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets, both over medium low heat. When butter melts add 2 large eggs to the first skillet, keeping the whites separate from each other. To the second skillet add 2 slices bread and toast lightly on first side then turn the bread. Top turned bread liberally with sauce and 2 slices of the ham and the Swiss cheese on each slice of bread. Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the tops of the open faced sandwiches. Cover the pan with foil and turn off heat. Let pan stand 5 minutes to melt cheese and set sauce and eggs.
• Top sandwiches with chopped herb or herbs of choice and serve. Spoon any leftover sauce over top of the eggs before garnishing.