The very best Croque-Monsieur I have ever had was in a small restaurant in the Colonnade in Toronto many years ago. I can’t recall the restaurant name, but it was right at the top of a steep escalator which would drop you nearly at the door. I think that the most popular dish on their menu was Croque-Monsieur. When I see Croque-Monsieur I always think of this restaurant. This recipe is close to perfection but I may tweak it some more over time to reach perfection!
Tip : If you are using a baguette, level out the top of the bread to remove the mound so that the bread will sit flatly on the baking sheet. This will prevent the bread from tipping and causing the cheese to shift to one side.
Ingredients
- 1 demi baguette sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 1/2 cups Béchamel Sauce
- 8-10 slices cooked ham thickly sliced (about 1/3")
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients before starting the recipe.
- Pre heat oven to 425°F
- Prepare Béchamel Sauce.
- Spread Béchamel sauce on each piece of bread, right to the edges of the bread.
- Place bread on a parchment lined cookie sheet, Béchamel side up.
- Top each piece with ham and cheese.
- Sprinkle each piece of bread with herb mixture (optional)
- Bake in a pre-heated oven until the cheese is brown and bubbling about 25 minutes.