Croque Monsieur #SundayFunday

Welcome to #SundayFunday! Wendy from A Day In The Life on The Farm invited fellow bloggers to kick back, relax, and share something tasty and fun each weekend. "Sunday should be a Family Funday. Please join us in sharing recipes that will help you to enjoy your Sunday." If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join!

Today our #SundayFunday group is hosted by Sue fron Palatable Pastime! She said: "Let's help our friends find new and interesting ways to park that leftover Easter ham in a sandwich worthy of making."

I've had this sandwich on my radar for awhile and the prompt from Sue was the perfect opportunity to give it a try! With a refrigerator full of ham and a loaf of sourdough bread ready to go - this unique sandwich comes together quickly and easily. And you can bake off a large batch at one time, making it perfect for a brunch or lunch to serve your crowd all at one time. 

The bread toasts up nicely in the oven, and is completely coated and tucked in by that thick creamy bechamel sauce and fabulous cheesy melted gruyere topping. Use whatever type of ham you have available to stuff the middle with. 

See all of our tasty ham sandwich ideas!

• Keto 2-Minute Protein Bread & A Ham Sandwich from Sneha's Recipe
• Peameal Ham and Egg Breakfast Sandwich from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spicy Ham Pimento Cheese Sandwiches from Food Lust People Love
• Grilled Ham, Cheese and Tomato Sandwich from Palatable Pastime
• Ham & Pickle Sandwich from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Croque Monsieur from Making Miracles

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients

  

Béchamel sauce:

¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

Sandwich:

6-8 slices sourdough bread

5 ounces ham, about 8 slices 

6 ounces Gruyere cheese grated (about 2½ cups)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and lay out the bottom slices of bread on the tray. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. When melted, whisk the flour into the butter and make a roux. Cook, whisking occasionally, for about a minute to cook the flour. Whisk the milk into the mixture until a thickened sauce has formed. Add in the dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
3. Spread each of the bottom slices of bread generously with the thick sauce. Divide the ham over the sauce layer. Divide the gruyere and parmesan cheese in half. Distribute half of the cheese over the ham layer. 
4. Top with the final slices of bread. Smear the top of the bread slices with the remaining bechamel sauce. Divide the remaining cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 6-10 minutes, until cheese is well melted (it may take longer to fully melt the cheese in the middle, it's up to you if you continue baking it or allow some of the cheese to remain unmelted).
6. Increase temperature to broil. Broil 2-3 minutes until the tops of the sandwiches are lightly browned.
   
7. Cool slightly, slice and serve! 

Recipe adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch