Festive Turkey Croque Monsieur 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.

FESTIVE TURKEY CROQUE-MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7.
• In a saucepan on a low heat, melt the butter until foamy, but not coloured, then stir in the flour. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the cold milk and whisk well to avoid lumps forming.
• Raise the heat and leave to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the mustard and crumble in the Stilton, and check the seasoning.
• Line the bread on the work surface and spread 4 slices with cranberry sauce, then Stilton sauce and grate over half the Gruyère.
• Top with turkey and sandwich with the remaining bread. Press lightly, then spread the 4 tops with the remaining sauce and finish by grating over the remaining Gruyère.
• Bake until the cheese melts and the sandwiches turn golden brown. Serve with a green salad.

QUICK CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in bottom third. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Melt butter in another saucepan over medium heat; add flour, whisk to combine, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme, then gradually whisk in milk. Simmer bechamel 2 minutes, whisking. Remove from heat, and add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Cut top crust off bread; slice loaf in half horizontally. Fill sandwich with mustard, ham, and half the Gruyere. Toast on a baking sheet until cheese is melted and top is golden brown.
• Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Spread bechamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with pepper and remaining thyme. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

TURKEY CROQUE MONSIEUR / CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 - 2 minutes to make a roux. Do not let the roux turn brown.
• Add the milk and gravy (if using) into the roux and whisk to combine. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Taste and add salt to taste (you will need less if you're using gravy). Also add the nutmeg. Cook the bechamel sauce while stirring, until it starts to thicken. Add 85 g of cheese (about ¾ cup) and stir until just melted.
• Taste and season with more salt if needed. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set aside. To avoid a skin from forming on the surface, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the bechamel sauce while it's cooling down.
• Place the cranberry sauce in a bowl and mix in the mustard. Set aside. The grated gruyere cheese will be used inside the sandwich as well as outside, so divide the cheese in to roughly 8 portions.
• Butter both sides of each slice of bread. On one slice, spread some cranberry mustard sauce, followed by 2 slices of ham, and a layer of turkey. Top with grated gruyere cheese, and then with the other buttered slice of bread.
• OPTIONAL - you can add a thin layer of bechamel sauce inside the sandwich too.
• Repeat with the rest of the bread slices.
• Grill the sandwiches on both sides in a pan or on a griddle over medium - medium high heat, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown - about 4 minutes per side for me.
• Place the sandwiches on a baking tray (line the baking tray with parchment paper if you like, since the cheese will melt onto the tray).
• Top each sandwich GENEROUSLY with the cheesy bechamel sauce - make sure the entire surface is covered from end to end. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese.
• Broil in the oven for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted and you can see caramelized spots on the surface.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Top with sunny side up (or poached) eggs for a turkey croque madame.