April is the month of April Fool's Day and the devout celebrate Easter, but, did you know that it was also National Grilled Cheese Month? I don't know who dubbed April with this honour (even after an intensive Google search) but it is a good month to celebrate. I would suggest that the month belongs to Kraft:D
Once again it is time for the Barefoot Bloggers to join forces and make some delicious recipes from Ina Garten and her league of cookbooks. She is one of my favourites. It is always a "win win situation" because her recipes are always consistent. I haven't come across a recipe yet that hasn't turned out and been a crowd pleaser. So to celebrate National Cheese Month Kathy of All Food Considered has chosen Croque Monsieur which can be found in Barefoot in Paris on page 48 . Croque Monsieur is a glorified version of a grilled cheese sandwich...or is it a glorified version of French toast? I am late in posting with work and getting ready for a holiday...but here it is finally:D
A croque-monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich that is typically made with emmental or gruyere cheeses. The Croque Monsieur, or “Crispy Mister,” appeared on Parisian café menus in 1910. The original Croque Monsieur was simply a hot ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, fried in butter. Some believe it was accidentally created when French workers left their lunch pails by a hot radiator and came back later to discover the cheese in their sandwiches had melted. It originated in France as a fast-food snack that patrons found at cafés and bars. More elaborate versions come coated in a Mornay or Béchamel sauce for an even more glorified grilled cheese sandwich.
Found all over France today, the Croque Monsieur (casually referred to as a Croque) has as many recipes and variations as it has cooks. The crunchy sandwich is served as an appetizer, snack, or casual meal. Versions of the sandwich with substitutions or additional ingredients are given names modelled on the original croque-monsieur, for example:
Croque Madame - with a fried or poached egg on top.
Croque Provençal - with tomato, raclette cheese and herbed mayonnaise.
Croque auvergnat - with bleu d'Auvergne cheese.
Croque norvégien - with smoked salmon instead of ham.
Croque Hawaii - with a slice of pineapple.
Croque Bolognese - with Bolognese sauce.
Black croque monsieur. - toasted squid ink bread with buffalo mozzarella.
Croque Tartiflette - with Reblechon cheese, sliced potatoes and a creamy bechamel sauce.
Secondly I would like to thank Giz of the mother/daughter team of Equal Opportunity Kitchen and the co-founder of BloggerAid - Changing the Face of Famine for bestowing upon me the Sisterhood award. She knows the true value of friendship and sticking to your core values with truth, integrity and a generosity of spirit. She is one classy lady and deserved this award. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Once again it is time for the Barefoot Bloggers to join forces and make some delicious recipes from Ina Garten and her league of cookbooks. She is one of my favourites. It is always a "win win situation" because her recipes are always consistent. I haven't come across a recipe yet that hasn't turned out and been a crowd pleaser. So to celebrate National Cheese Month Kathy of All Food Considered has chosen Croque Monsieur which can be found in Barefoot in Paris on page 48 . Croque Monsieur is a glorified version of a grilled cheese sandwich...or is it a glorified version of French toast? I am late in posting with work and getting ready for a holiday...but here it is finally:D
A croque-monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich that is typically made with emmental or gruyere cheeses. The Croque Monsieur, or “Crispy Mister,” appeared on Parisian café menus in 1910. The original Croque Monsieur was simply a hot ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, fried in butter. Some believe it was accidentally created when French workers left their lunch pails by a hot radiator and came back later to discover the cheese in their sandwiches had melted. It originated in France as a fast-food snack that patrons found at cafés and bars. More elaborate versions come coated in a Mornay or Béchamel sauce for an even more glorified grilled cheese sandwich.
Found all over France today, the Croque Monsieur (casually referred to as a Croque) has as many recipes and variations as it has cooks. The crunchy sandwich is served as an appetizer, snack, or casual meal. Versions of the sandwich with substitutions or additional ingredients are given names modelled on the original croque-monsieur, for example:
Croque Madame - with a fried or poached egg on top.
Croque Provençal - with tomato, raclette cheese and herbed mayonnaise.
Croque auvergnat - with bleu d'Auvergne cheese.
Croque norvégien - with smoked salmon instead of ham.
Croque Hawaii - with a slice of pineapple.
Croque Bolognese - with Bolognese sauce.
Black croque monsieur. - toasted squid ink bread with buffalo mozzarella.
Croque Tartiflette - with Reblechon cheese, sliced potatoes and a creamy bechamel sauce.
All of these versions sound delicious to me!!
Before I move on to the recipe I would like to thank a couple of people for honoring More Than Burnt Toast with awards this week. First of all a bug thank you to Sam of My Carolina Kitchen . Along with the Friendship Award comes this message: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated." I have only recently discovered Sam's blog and I love to visit and read about her culinary trips to France.
Secondly I would like to thank Giz of the mother/daughter team of Equal Opportunity Kitchen and the co-founder of BloggerAid - Changing the Face of Famine for bestowing upon me the Sisterhood award. She knows the true value of friendship and sticking to your core values with truth, integrity and a generosity of spirit. She is one classy lady and deserved this award. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
A big thank you to Kathy for reintroducing us to this French classic. This is an especially delicious version, but you can always add your own special twist. On to the recipe........
The Barefoot Bloggers have now made 91,946 Friday night dinners for Jeffrey!!!
**Croque Monsieur**
2 T unsalted butter
3 T all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin
2 T unsalted butter
3 T all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin
*********
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes.
Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.
