Winter

Bistro-Style Croque Monsieur

Name: Bistro-Style Croque Monsieur
Total time: 45 min (plus cooling)
Yield: Makes 2
Ingredients: 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. whole milk; 3 sprigs thyme; 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter; 5 Tbsp. (39 g) all-purpose flour; 5 oz. Comté cheese, coarsely grated; Freshly grated nutmeg; Kosher salt; 4 1"-thick slices pain de mie or other white sandwich bread, divided; 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard; 4 oz. raclette cheese, thinly sliced into irregular ribbons with a vegetable peeler, divided; 10 thin slices French or other ham; 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided; 1 Tbsp. (or more) vegetable or other neutral oil; Dressed greens (for serving; optional)

Source: Bon Appétit🫕🍳Original ↗

Total

45 min (plus cooling)

Servings

Makes 2

Method

01
Bring the milk and thyme to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately reduce heat to low and keep warm.
02
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in another small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until no pockets of dry flour remain, about 1 minute. Remove thyme from the warm milk and discard. Gradually pour the milk into the roux, whisking constantly until combined. Bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from heat. Let the béchamel sit until no longer hot but still warm.
03
Add the Comté to the béchamel and stir until melted and combined. Add nutmeg to taste and season with salt. Let the mornay sauce cool, then cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface and chill until ready to use.
04
Spread one side of two bread slices with the Dijon, dividing evenly. Top with 2 oz. raclette, dividing evenly, then divide the ham between the slices. Top with the remaining 2 oz. raclette, then close the sandwiches with the remaining two bread slices.
05
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Place a sandwich in the pan and weigh it down with a grill press or another skillet. Add 1 Tbsp. butter and swirl so it coats the pan and absorbs into the sandwich. Cook until golden brown underneath, about 4 minutes. Remove the press, turn the sandwich, return the press, add another 1 Tbsp. butter and swirl. Cook until the second side is golden, about 4 minutes, then continue turning as needed until the cheese is melted, 2–3 minutes more. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the second sandwich and remaining butter.
06
Heat the broiler to high, with a rack one slot down from the top. Spread the mornay sauce over the sandwiches in about a ¼"-thick layer (you may not use all of it). Broil until deeply browned in spots, about 3 minutes — watch closely, they go from browned to burned fast.
07
Transfer to plates and mound dressed greens alongside if desired. Do ahead: the sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled.