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Croque madame sandwich being cut
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4.67 from 6 votes

Croque Madame (Ham, Cheese, and Fried Egg Sandwich)

A classic French sandwich made with buttery brioche, tender ham, sharp gruyere, creamy Béchamel, and topped with a gooey fried egg!
 
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Lunch - Sandwiches
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: brioche, easy, French
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 842kcal
Author: Jennifer Debth

Ingredients

Bechamel

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Other sandwich ingredients

  • 1 loaf brioche
  • 1 oz Gruyère cheese shredded (you could also use 1 slice Gruyere)
  • 8 slices thinly sliced ham 2 per sandwich
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • butter softened to spread on bread
  • 4 large eggs fried

Instructions

Bechamel

  • Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Then whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2-3 minutes. The flour mixture will be thick.
  • Slowly whisk in milk, about 1/2 cup at a time. For the first cup, let the flour mixture absorb the milk before adding in more milk. It will first look like a paste, and then slowly thin out.
  • Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
  • Once thick, whisk in the salt, nutmeg and ½ cup parmesan. Continue whisking until the cheese melts.
  • Remove from the heat and cool slightly while you get your other sandwich ingredients ready.

Assembling the sandwich

  • Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Cut the brioche into 8 thick slices. Lay out 4 slices and top with the sliced or shredded gruyere.
  • Next, top the cheese with the ham slices and a spoonful of bechamel. Top with the other brioche slices.
  • Gently spread the top side of brioche with the softened butter.
  • Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium low - medium heat. Place the brioche sandwiches into the pan with the buttered side down. While the brioche is browning, butter the second side of the brioche.
  • Cook for about 2 minutes, or when the bottom is golden. Once golden, flip the sandwich over and brown the other side.
  • Once the second side has browned, remove from the pan and place on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Top each sandwich with 2 tablespoons of béchamel and 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese.
  • Place in the oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately!
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Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 842kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 442mg | Sodium: 1456mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1545IU | Calcium: 581mg | Iron: 2.4mg