Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- A pinch each of salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, or more to
taste
- 6 ounces Gruyère
cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups grated)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (packed)
- 8 slices of French or Italian loaf bread
- 12 ounces ham, sliced
- Dijon mustard
Method
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan on
medium/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and
cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk,
whisking continuously, cooking until thick. Remove from heat. Add the
salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the
grated Gruyère. Set aside.
3 Lay out the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them in
the oven, a few minutes each side, until lightly toasted. For extra
flavor you can spread some butter on the bread slices before you toast
them if you want.
(Alternatively, you can assemble the sandwiches as follows in step
four and grill them on a skillet, finishing them in the broiler with the
bechamel sauce.)
4 Lightly brush half of the toasted slices with mustard. Add
the ham slices and about 1 cup of the remaining Gruyère cheese. Top
with the other toasted bread slices.
5 Spoon on the béchamel sauce to the tops of the sandwiches.
Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Place on a broiling pan.
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for
an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese topping is bubbly and
lightly browned.
If you top this sandwich with a fried egg it becomes a Croque
Madame.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
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