Croque Madame, a French-style Ham and Cheese sandwich with creamy béchamel sauce, topped with an egg. The same sandwich, without an additional egg, is known as the Croque Monsieur.
This scrumptious sandwich is one of my favourite breakfast/brunch item. The rich and creamy mouthfeel from the melted cheese and mornay sauce (Béchamel Sauce with Cheese) is heavenly. When topped with a perfectly fried sunny side up or onsen egg, the creaminess from the runny yolk makes this a perfect meal that is even fit for the king!
To make this sandwich, you have to prepare the béchamel sauce first. Béchamel Sauce is one of the five French mother sauce. It is a very versatile sauce that you can use it in many dishes. A few of the common ones are mac & cheese, savoury soufflé, etc. It is made with milk, flour, sometimes cream, and seasoning. Béchamel sauce with cheese is known as Mornay Sauce.
A perfect Béchamel/ Mornay Sauce should be smooth and creamy without any lump. Constant whisking is required to achieve this consistency.
After preparing the sauce, you can start assembling the sandwich.
1st, remove the crust of the bread.
Then layer 1 slice of ham on top of 1 slice of bread. Scoop a generous spoonful of béchamel sauce over the ham and layer with another slice of bread. Add gruyere cheese or any sliced cheese of your choice, follow by another spoonful of sauce. Layer another piece of bread and finish with a very generous spoonful of Bechamel Sauce. Allow it to overflow to the sides of the sandwich.
If you love it to be extra cheesy, sprinkle more mozzarella cheese for an extra cheesy & stretchy kick!
Bake in the oven until the sauce slightly brown or the mozzarella cheese melted and brown. Top with an onsen egg or a sunny side up.
Viola! Cafe-style breakkie/ brunch is just right in front of you without the need to leave the house.
- 30g Butter
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 150 ml milk
- 50g cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (or more if needed)
- pinch of black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 60g mozzarella cheese
- 6 slices of bread (Crust removed)
- 2 eggs (Onsen egg or sunny side up)
- 20g Mozzarella Cheese (Optional)
- 2 slices of Ham
- 2 Slices of Gruyere Cheese (or any sliced cheese of your choice)
- Preheat the oven @ 180 degree Celsius for 30 mins or preheat the Air fryer @ 160 degree celsius for 5 mins
- Melt the butter and stir in the plain flour in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir and allow the butter-flour mixture to cook for 1 to 2 mins
- Add the milk and cream and whisk quickly until mixture thicken into a smooth, glossy mixture
- Add in all other ingredients for the sauce and stir until the cheese melted
- Turn off the heat and set aside for assembling of the sandwiches
- Prepare a baking tray and lay a piece of non stick baking paper over it
- Remove the crust of the Bread
- Put a slice of the bread on the tray and layer 1 slice of ham on top of it.
- Scoop a generous spoonful of mornay sauce over the ham and layer with another slice of bread. Add a slice of cheese then follow by another spoonful of sauce.
- Layer another piece of bread and finish with a very generous spoonful of Bechamel Sauce. Allow it to overflow to the sides of the sandwich.
- Repeat the same step for the other sandwich
- Top with mozzarella cheese (Optional)
- Place the tray of sandwiches into the oven and bake for 10 mins (or 5 mins if using Air Fryer) until the sauce slightly browned or when the mozzarella cheese melted and browned.
- Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the sandwich to a serving plate
- Top each sandwich with an egg
- Serve with some salad
Where can I get this Bechamel sauce in Singapore?
Hi Kim, You can make it from the recipe in this page. I do not think we can get ready béchamel in Singapore but trust me, its really easy to make.
Let me know if you need any help
Eckitchensg