Mister Crunchy....Croque Monsieur

I would like to share a story about a croque monsieur I had in Paris in October. Myself and bf had gotten up a little later than planned, and we had a busy day ahead of us. We decided to save time we would just pick up some breakfast on our way to the Eiffel Tower, so we stopped into a little boulangerie and both of us opted for a croque monsieur and a chocolate eclaire to split. Unfortunatly I didn't have the foresight to photograph the croque monsieur before I started eating it, or rather inhaling it. I ate the whole thing in the space of about a minute and a half and when I looked over at my beau, he had the same intense look of concentration I had mirrored on his face! It's the only time we don't talk really, when we're eating. I don't think I've ever tasted something so delicious!! The bread was nicely toasted and slightly crispy from the butter that had been spread over it before it was grilled. The cheese on top was melted but slightly crispy on top and the ham inside was smothered in a creamy cheesy melty sauce...I'm slavering at the thought!


I found this receipe here I haven't tried it yet, but I will in the next couple of weeks and report back, yum!

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.