Few dishes capture the warmth of a Parisian bistro like the croque-monsieur. Crisp bread, melting cheese and ham combine into effortless comfort food. Chef Pierre Chomet’s Instagram shows a generous take with country bread and a parmesan-enriched béchamel. Below is a fresh, SEO-friendly recipe inspired by that version, written for home cooks.
What you’ll need: ingredients for two croques with parmesan béchamel
Serves: 2
- 4 slices of country-style bread, rustic and slightly thick
- 200 g good-quality cooked ham
- 100 g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 knob of salted butter for frying
For the parmesan béchamel
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 20 g plain flour
- 200 ml whole milk, warm
- A generous handful of finely grated parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Step-by-step: build and cook the croque-monsieur
- Make the roux: melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan.
- Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until smooth and pale.
- Remove from heat briefly and pour in warm milk in a thin stream.
- Whisk constantly to prevent lumps and return to medium heat.
- Cook until the sauce thickly coats a spoon. Keep stirring to avoid sticking.
- Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg off the heat.
- Fold in most of the grated parmesan so the béchamel becomes glossy and savory.
- Butter your skillet and lightly toast the bread slices on both sides.
- Spread a good layer of the parmesan béchamel on two slices of toast.
- Top each with slices of ham, then close with the remaining toasts.
- Brown the assembled sandwiches in the pan until both sides are golden.
- Spread the remaining béchamel on top and finish with the leftover parmesan.
- Place under a hot broiler for a few minutes until the crust bubbles and turns deep gold.
Quick tips and variations to lift the recipe
- Cheese swap: mix Gruyère with parmesan for a creamier melt.
- Bread choice: use country loaf for texture or pain de mie for a softer bite.
- Herb boost: stir a teaspoon of Dijon mustard into the béchamel for tang.
- Cooking note: watch the broiler closely to avoid burning the cheese.
- Serving idea: pair with a peppery green salad dressed simply with lemon and oil.
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