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Crunchy, savory, decadent Croque Madame is a French classic that’s easy to make at home. Buttery brioche is grilled with layers of Swiss cheese, ham and a creamy béchamel sauce before being topped with a fried egg. So dreamy.
This easy Croque Madame sandwich is exactly the thing we like to whip up for a cozy dinner at home. It’s ready in minutes and always a complete home run when you’re short on time.
If you’ve never had a Croque Madame before, you’re going to love it! This sandwich is an upgrade from the classic Croque Monsieur recipe.
Basically, it’s a Croque Monsieur with an egg on top. The term Croque Monsiuer means to bite “croque” and mister “monsieur”, meaning gentleman’s sandwich. It dates back to approximately 1910.
The sandwich is build on slices of buttery brioche bread that’s layered with gruyere cheese and ham then grilled. It’s then topped with a blanket of béchamel sauce and more cheese before being broiled to a golden brown, melty deliciousness.
A Croque Madame got it’s name because the egg resembles a woman’s hat….so madame.
How to Make Croque Madame
This sandwich couldn’t be simpler to make from scratch. The béchamel sauce is easy to make in a matter of minutes. This is certainly the epitome of cozy comfort food.
- Make the Bechamel Sauce – Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes until it starts to turn golden. Whisk in the half and half cooking until thickened. Stir in the nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- Assemble the Sandwich – Spread a spoonful of the béchamel on four slices of bread. Layer the Swiss cheese and ham on two slices of bread. Top with the remaining slices of bread with the béchamel side inside the sandwich. Butter the top half of the sandwich.
- Grill the Sandwich – Melt the remaining butter in a skillet and place the sandwich in the skillet unbuttered side down. Grill the sandwich for 3-4 minutes of medium-low heat. Flip the sandwich over and grill for an additional 3 minutes until golden.
- Bake the Sandwiches – Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet. Top the sandwich with another spoonful or two of béchamel. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Broil the sandwiches for 2 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Fry the eggs – Quickly fry two eggs in a clean skillet.
- Top the sandwiches with the egg and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Croque Madame
We love to keep things simple when serving this sandwich so a simple spring mix salad from the produce section is a great option and drizzle it with a homemade vinaigrette.
You can also serve it with this easy Wedge Salad for something a little more hearty!
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
If you like this easy Croque Madame, you will also LOVE this easy Monte Cristo Sandwich! It’s oozing with melty cheese with has layers of ham and turkey.
We also like this hearty Patty Melt for when we’re really starving. And definitely give this easy Philly cheesesteak..it’s ready in minutes!
For more easy family recipe ideas, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Croque Madame Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 slices brioche bread, or other country style white bread
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, gruyere works best here but your favorite Swiss will work.
- 6 slices deli ham
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. The mixture will have the consistency of wet sand.
- Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until it starts to turn golden and starts to smell nutty.
- Whisk in the half and half until smooth and continue to cook until thickened.
- Stir in the nutmeg and salt stirring to combine.
- Spread a spoonful of the béchamel on one side of four slices of bread.
- Layer the Swiss cheese and ham on two slices of bread.
- Top with the remaining slices of bread with the béchamel side facing the inside of the sandwich.
- Butter the top half of the sandwich with 1 tablespoon of butter for each sandwich.
- Melt the remaining butter in a skillet and place the sandwiches in the skillet unbuttered side down.
- Grill the sandwich for 3-4 minutes of medium-low heat.
- Flip the sandwich over and grill for an additional 3 minutes until golden.
- Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet.
- Top the sandwich with another spoonful or two of béchamel coating the entire surface of the bread. This will help prevent extra well done corners. (You may have extra sauce leftover, it's fantastic on everything.)
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Broil the sandwiches for 2 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- While the sandwiches broil, quickly fry two eggs in a clean skillet coated with cooking spray. Be careful to keep an eye on your sandwiches….or just pull them out of the oven before you fry the eggs.
- Top the sandwiches with the egg and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why does this recipe call for five (5) slices of bread when there are clearly four (4) slices needed for two sandwiches?
That’s a great question!