Croque-Madame Gruyere Melts with Cheese Sauce
Croque-Madame Gruyere Melts are one of my favorite sandwiches. I begin these sandwiches by making a luscious cheese sauce. Then, I add ham and shredded Gruyere cheese to sourdough bread and fry the sandwiches until they’re golden brown. Next, I fry eggs, and place one on each sandwich. Finally, I drizzle the rich cheese sauce all over the sandwich. Needless to say, you’ll need a fork and knife to eat these decadent sandwiches.
The Equipment I Used
- A Two Quart Saucepan- I used this to make the cheese sauce.
- A Griddle- To cook all four sandwiches at once, you’ll need a large griddle or frying pan.
- A Large skillet- You’ll need this to fry all four eggs at once. I like to use a nonstick skillet.
The Ingredients Needed for Croque-Madame Gruyere Melts with Cheese Sauce
- Butter- Be sure and use unsalted butter, or your sandwiches will be too salty.
- Milk- Use whole milk.
- Chicken Stock- I always make my own and keep it in the freezer. The recipe is below.
- Nutmeg- Try and find whole nutmeg and grate it fresh.
- Bread- Any hearty bread will do. I used sourdough bread.
- Ham- Use good sliced ham. I used Applegate Farms cooked ham.
- Eggs- For the brightest orange yolks, use organic eggs.
How I Made my Sandwiches
- First, I made the cheese sauce. It’s important to keep a close eye on this sauce. You don’t want to burn the butter or any other part of this sauce.
- Next, I cooked my sandwiches on a large griddle. Again, you want to be sure and not burn your sandwiches.
- Then, I fried my eggs. I like to do this on low heat.
- Finally, I topped each sandwich with an egg and some cheese sauce.
If you enjoy griddled cheese sandwiches or paninis, you absolutely must try these Croque-Madame Gruyere Melts with Cheese Sauce.
Croque-Madame Gruyere Melts with Cheese Sauce
A grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a cheese sauce and a fried egg.
Ingredients
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. minced onions
- 1 tbsp. flour
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp. each grated nutmeg and black pepper
For the Croque-Madame Gruyere Melt:
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 8 slices ham
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Begin by making the cheese sauce: In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion for one minute. Stir in the flour and cook another minute. Add the milk, chicken stock, and cream and bring it to a simmer. Cook it for two minutes, or until it thickens up and coats the back of your spoon. Remove it from the heat and add the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover and keep warm.
- In a large frying pan, heat three tablespoons of the butter. Make sandwiches out of the ham, cheese, and bread. Cook them in the butter until the bread browns and the cheese melts.
- At the same time, in a separate skillet, fry four eggs in the rest of the butter.
- Top each sandwich with an egg, and pour sauce all over the egg white, letting it drip down the side of the sandwich.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
