Sheet Pan Croque Madame Egg In A Hole Food

SHEET PAN CROQUE MADAME EGG-IN-A-HOLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make béchamel: Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture bubbles and thins out a bit, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Place bread slices on baking sheet. Using a round biscuit cutter that fits within the perimeter of the slice, punch a hole in each piece of bread. Place punched bread along side of slices. Divide half of béchamel sauce among bread slices and holes, spreading to coat. Top bread slices with ham and cheese, being careful not to cover the hole too much!
• Drizzle remaining béchamel over cheese and ham. Crack eggs into the center of each slice, season with salt and pepper, and transfer to oven. Bake until eggs are just cooked through and béchamel is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with chives, and serve immediately.

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

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.