Croque Monsieur - It's Not Just a Sandwich

Leave it to the French to turn something as simple as a sandwich into a unique mouth watering experience.  The Croque Monsieur, which means crisp mister, is a classic in Parisian cafes and throughout France.  The Croque - as it is referred to - is simply a ham and cheese sandwich fried in butter.  So you are probably wondering what makes it so special.  It’s the frying in butter that transforms this sandwich into a golden brown delight oozing with warm melted cheese.

There are as many variations on the Croque Monsieur as there are methods of preparing it.  Serve it with a fried egg on top and it becomes a Croque Madame.  Add turkey or chicken and you have a Monte Cristo.  Though not the original recipe, some like to serve it with  Béchamel sauce on top.  I prefer to prepare it the traditional way - why mess with a good thing.

Croque Monsieur Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Crusty French Boule (round French loaf)

8 slices baked ham

4 slices Gruyere cheese (or Emmentaler)

dijon mustard

butter

Preparation:

Slice the bread loaf, if not already sliced. For each sandwich, spread dijon mustard on one side of two slices of bread. Add 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese per sandwich. Butter the outside of the sandwich on both sides.
Heat a large skillet, coated with cooking spray, on medium-high heat. Add sandwich(es) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Makes 4 sandwiches.