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Oven-Baked Three-Layer Croque Monsieur Sandwiches
During a trip to Paris and a visit with master fromager Laurent Dubois, we were reminded just how delicious a well-made croque monsieur can be. Dubois’ version of the iconic French ham and cheese sandwich inspired us to develop a simple, fuss-free recipe that’s doable on a weeknight. A béchamel, or flour-thickened white sauce, is classic, but we take a shortcut and stir together crème fraîche, shredded Gruyère (or Comté) cheese, a couple tablespoons of mustard and small measure of nutmeg. The mixture mimics the sauciness of a roux-thickened béchamel. And instead of griddling the sandwiches one or two at a time, we cook four at once on a baking sheet in the oven. They’re finished with a final slather of “sauce” and a blast of broiler heat for browning. Sliced sandwich bread with a sturdy crumb rather than a soft, cotttony texture is best. We modeled our recipe on Dubois’ three-layer creation, so you will need a total of 12 slices for four sandwiches.
4
Servings
Don’t substitute sour cream for the crème fraîche in this recipe. Crème fraîche is higher in fat and will stand up to high heat; sour cream is leaner and will curdle under the broiler. Also, keep a close watch on the sandwiches as they broil because they can scorch in a matter of seconds.
35 minutes
Ingredients
-
½
cup crème fraîche
-
2
tablespoons Dijon mustard
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, mustard, nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese; set aside. Divide the ham into 4 stacks to make portioning easier.
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