Croque Madame

5 from 2 votes

The Croque Madame is a classic French grilled ham and cheese sandwich made with a fried egg on top. Find out how to make one at home here.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Keyword: croque madame

Servings:

Calories: 813kcal

Make a roux: add the butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Keep whisking until bubbles form in the mixture and cook for 2 more minutes after that. The roux should stay a pale yellow color.
Make a bechamel sauce: Heat milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then add slowly to the roux while whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Lower the heat and cook until thickened (2-3 more minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine.
Lay out 2 slices of bread. Top each with 3 slices of ham.
Add a few tablespoons of the bechamel sauce to the top of the ham. Top with some of the Gruyere. Place the other two slices of bread on the top of each sandwich.
Spread the outsides of each sandwich with butter. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the sandwiches for a few minutes on each side until the bread is golden brown.
Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and top with a few tablespoons of bechamel and more Gruyere cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned.
While the sandwiches are broiling, fry two eggs. Top each sandwich with an egg and chopped chives for garnish. Enjoy!

Serve any extra bechamel sauce on the side for dipping.
Use high quality ham from the deli counter for the best taste.
You can also add a bay leaf to the bechamel sauce when you add the milk for extra flavor. Remove before serving.