A French Bistro Sandwich: Croque Monsieur with Marzetti Honey Dijon Dressing

When I lived in France I discovered the Croque Monsieur. It was one of my favorite foods to eat in French cafes. French bistros have famously served the Croque Monsieur for decades, making it one of the most popular sandwiches in France. And it's catching on in the U.S.

With Black Forest Ham, aged Swiss or Gruyere cheese, a honey Dijon spread, and a hot, bubbly parmesan crust, this sandwich is sure to please everyone. I've discovered a secret, though. I use Marzetti Honey Dijon Dressing in place of just plain honey Dijon mustard, and it makes a subtle but distinct difference. Let that be your secret, too, when you make this delicious sandwich for guests.

A Croque Monsieur recipe follows, but you can modify it to make it low fat. Simply replace the ham and cheese with low fat varieties and use nonfat milk instead of 2% or regular milk. Myself, I prefer the low fat variety, but the recipe below calls for regular ingredients. I've modified the recipe ingredients slightly for American grocery shoppers.

There are so many varieties of this recipe. Some recipes call for the bread to be dipped in egg batter and fried. Some recipes have no melted cheese topping. While the fried version is faster, I prefer this version for brunch or for guests.

Croque Monsieur with Marzetti Honey Dijon Dressing

Ingredients:
3 T unsalted butter
4 T flour
2 C milk
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
¼ tsp pepper (or to taste)
Pinch nutmeg
1/3 C fresh grated (or shredded) parmesan cheese
9 oz. fresh aged Swiss or Gruyere cheese
16 oz. Black Forest ham
¼ C shredded parmesan cheese
12 slices French or Italian loaf bread
Marzetti Honey Dijon Dressing

Preheat the oven to 400°.

In a saucepan, heat the milk. In another saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring until a smooth paste. Slowly add the heated milk, stirring constantly. Turn the heat up to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. Remove pan from heat and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the fresh grated parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Brush melted butter lightly on both sides of the bread slices and lay out on a baking sheet. Toast them in the heated oven. Remove from oven. Brush each slice on one side with Marzetti Honey Dijon Dressing. On half of the bread, put on the ham slices and the aged Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Top the sandwich with the other toasted slices of bread.

Spoon the sauce on the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with the remaining grated parmesan. Bake in the oven until heated through, about 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for another 5 minutes until the tops of the sandwiches bubble and turn a golden brown.

Serve with a side of fruit or orange slices. Makes 6 sandwiches.

If you add a fried egg to the top of the sandwich, it becomes a perfect breakfast or brunch sandwich and is called the Croque Madame. With a tomato added, the Croque Monsieur becomes a Croque Proven§al.