Croque Monsieur

I've actually had one of these before. It was back when I lived in Florida, my mom and I would go to the Winter Park Farmer's Market. One of the vendors would make these and I loved it. I hadn't actually made one until I watched It's Complicated though. It just got me interested in the concept and I've been making them ever since!

Croque Monsieur

sourdough bread
black forest ham
jarlsberg cheese, grated
dijon mustard
white sauce {recipe below}

• Turn on the broiler and toast the pieces of bread for about 5 minutes, turning over once. I do this so that the bread doesn't get as soggy when you put the sandwiches together.
•  Make the white sauce as directed and set aside.
• To assemble the sandwiches take one slice of the bread and slather it with the dijon mustard, layer two spoonfuls of the white sauce, 2-3 slices of ham, some of the jarlsberg cheese and more white sauce on the second slice of bread and put that on top. 
• Now take more of the white sauce and spoon it on the top of the assembled sandwich. Layer with the remaining cheese. And for the finishing touch, spoon on more of the white sauce over the top, almost covering the cheese.
• Turn on the broiler again and set on the lowest setting {if you have one} and cook for about 7 minutes, turning once or twice. The cheese will be melted and the sauce on top will have a nice brown coloring.

White Sauce:
Recipe from Cooking at Home {William Sonoma}

2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan, about 5 minutes. Do not let the milk boil or develop a skin. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir well until the mixture is pale and ivory, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Whisking constantly, drizzle the warm milk into the flour mixture about 2 tablespoons at a time. The sauce will gradually become smooth. After one-fourth of the milk has been added, you can add the rest more quickly. When all of the milk has been added, the sauce should have the consistency of thick cream. Stir in the salt.
• Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pan and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1 minute. Taste the sauce; it should taste creamy with no trace of raw flour flavor. If any lumps are visible, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

Ashley