Croque Madame Toast
User Reviews
5
Croque Madame Toast
Description
The Croque Madame Toast starts with sourdough bread slices lightly buttered and toasted, then spread with whole grain mustard for sharpness. Thin smoked ham slices are layered atop, and then a homemade mornay sauce made from butter, flour, milk, dry mustard, ginger, gruyere, and parmesan is poured over the ham. This sauce is smooth and cheesy with hints of mustard and warm spice from ginger.
After assembling, the toast is broiled briefly until the sauce bubbles and slightly browns. An egg yolk is carefully placed into a small well in the sauce atop each slice before broiling, cooking just until the yolk remains soft but warmed. The resulting dish balances crispy toast, savory ham, creamy tangy cheese sauce, and rich egg yolk.
This treat is excellent served immediately as a hearty breakfast or lunch. Variations in cheese are possible by substituting gruyere for swiss, comte, or fontina. For a fuller sandwich, an extra slice of mustard-spread toast can be added, topped with mornay and a fried egg. The creamy cheese and tender yolk pairs well with the robust mustard and smoky ham.
The recipe suggests carefully frying eggs separately for a runny yolk if preferred. The toasted bread and mustard layers provide texture contrast and a subtle sharpness to marry the flavors. The use of mustard powder and ground ginger in the sauce adds a mild warmth and complexity.
Ingredients
mornay sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk whole, plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder dry
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅓ cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese grated
- salt cracked, to taste
- black pepper cracked, to taste
assembly
- 3 lices sourdough bread lightly buttered and toasted
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard prepared
- 6 ounces smoked ham thinly sliced
- 3 large egg yolk
Instructions
mornay sauce
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir over the heat for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. Add the milk in a steady stream while whisking, then continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the mustard, ginger, gruyere, and parmesan. Continue to cook and stir until the cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
assembly
- Preheat broiler. Spread whole grain mustard onto one side of the toast slices. Top slices of the toast with the ham.
- Transfer the ham-topped toasts to a baking sheet and top each with a 1/2 cup of the mornay sauce.
- Carefully create a well atop each toast, with the ham and mornay sauce and drop each yolk into each well.
- Broil the toasts until the sauce is hot and bubbling, but the yolk is still soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- Gruyere cheese can be substituted with Swiss, Comté, Fontina, Gouda, or white cheddar as preferred.
- To add fried eggs instead of raw yolks, fry eggs in melted butter until crispy edges form but yolks remain runny, then place over the warm mornay sauce.
- For a full sandwich, use an extra slice of mustard-spread toast on top, pour more mornay sauce, broil briefly until bubbly and golden, and finish with a fried egg.
- Season the final dish with cracked black pepper and salt to taste immediately before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 458 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 458kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 246mg | 82% |
| Sodium | 1339mg | 56% |
| Potassium | 339mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 610IU | 12% |
| Calcium | 314mg | 31% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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