Have you ever had a croque-madame? This is a classic French ham and grilled cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg! Great for a simple lunch or dinner.
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If you’re going to France and never learn a word of the language, you should at least know the names of the two most popular café sandwiches: croque monsieur and croque madame.
The sandwich is traditionally topped with a béchamel sauce and then the fried egg, but I stopped making them with béchamel. It’s finicky making a béchamel (a roux-based cheese sauce) for an otherwise very simple sandwich, and I’ve found that an extra slice of cheese works just as well.
Gruyere is the classic cheese for a croque madame; Use it if you can find it. If not, choose another cheese that melts easily, like Swiss, Emmental, Comté, or Jarlsberg. Also choose a spicy ham like the Black Forest.
I prefer thick-sliced white sandwich bread that holds up well in the pan. I like to spread the sandwiches with Dijon mustard on the inside and mayonnaise on the outside. The mayonnaise gives the sandwich extra rich flavor and extra crunch after frying.
Top with an egg, sunny side up, and lunch is ready! This sandwich is best eaten with a fork.
Tips for Success
Easy Croque-Madame (ham and grilled cheese sandwich with fried egg)
Double – or triple! – this recipe for more portions.
ingredients
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2 slices sandwich breadany favorite variety
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2 tablespoon mayonnaise
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1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
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2 slim slices Gruyereor other firm, melty cheese (like Comté, Emmental, Jarlsberg) or enough cheese to cover the bread slices
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2 thin slice Delicatessen hamlike Black Forest
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2 tablespoon mayonnaise
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1 1/2 tablespoon butter
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 big egg
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prize teaspoon kosher salt
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prize teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
method
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Make the sandwich:
Spread both slices of bread with mayonnaise. Turn them over and brush the other side with mustard. Layer a slice of cheese, the ham and the other slice of cheese on a slice of bread. Top with the other slice of bread, mustard-side down. (The mayonnaise sides should be facing out.)
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Fry the sandwiches:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the sandwich. If you have a bacon maker, grill press, or panini press, set it on top to weigh down the sandwich (otherwise, just squeeze the flat side of your spatula a few times during cooking). Bake for 3 minutes or until bottom slice of bread is golden brown.
Gently flip the sandwich in the pan. Replace the bacon squeegee (or press with the flat side of your spatula) and cook an additional 3 minutes or until the underside is golden. Transfer to a plate.
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Fry the egg sunny side up:
Wipe out the pan. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering and flowing easily. Add the egg and cook for exactly 1 minute. Cover the pan and cook an additional 30 to 60 seconds or until all the egg whites are set. (A runny yolk is preferred for this sandwich, but cook the egg longer if you prefer a hard-boiled yolk.)
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Surcharge:
Slide the egg onto the top of the sandwich. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, along with thyme or parsley. Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 1176 | calories |
| 99g | Fat |
| 34g | carbohydrates |
| 38g | protein |
