Croque monsieur

Name: Croque monsieur
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 8 slices white bread, thick cut; 4 slices ham, thick cut; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 25g butter; 25g plain flour; 300ml milk; 100g gruyère, grated; 0.25 tsp nutmeg; 15g soft butter, for the bread

Ham and gruyere sandwiches under a bubbling cheese sauce, a proper French brunch.

Time30 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £1.54 a head
Oven200°C (180°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 sandwiches

Ingredients

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8slices white breadthick cut
4slices hamthick cut
1 tbspdijon mustard
25 gbutter
25 gplain flour
300 mlmilk
100 ggruyèregrated
¼ tspnutmeg
15 gsoft butterfor the bread

Method

1
Make the sauce. Melt 25 g butter, stir in the flour for 1 minute, then add the milk a little at a time, whisking, until thick. Stir in half the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5 min
2
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the soft butter on one side of each slice of bread and the mustard on the other side of 4 slices.
3
Make 4 sandwiches with the mustard slices, a slice of ham and a little cheese, buttered side outside.
4
Fry in a hot pan for 2 minutes each side until golden.
4 min
5
Lay on a tray, spoon over the sauce and scatter with the rest of the cheese.
6
Bake for 8 minutes until golden and bubbling.
8 min

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.