A croque-monsieur is a French sandwich made of ham, Gruyère cheese, French bread, and Dijon mustard. Croquer means "to crunch" in French, so the name literally translates to "crunch-mister." Another translation might be "crunch on this, my man."

Ingredients

For 1 sandwich:

• 2 slices of crusty bread
• 2 slices of ham
• 2 slices of cheese, such as gruyère
• 1 egg (for croque madam)

Béchamel sauce:

• 12g butter
• 12g flour
• 125ml milk
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• *OPTIONAL* A pinch of ground nutmeg

Procedure

1. For the béchamel, melt the butter in a small pan. Add the flour and stir over a medium heat until blended. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously into a smooth sauce. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add the mustard, nutmeg(if using) and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Preheat the grill to high. Lightly toast the bread on both sides under the grill. Arrange slices of ham and cheese on each, then top with béchamel sauce. Place back under the grill to brown the béchamel and melt the cheese until golden brown and delicious.
3. Serve hot.