Croque Madame Recipe

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This Croque Madame recipe is a wonderfully rich and decadent breakfast sandwich made with bacon and cheese on toasted bread, smothered in a homemade bechamel sauce and toasted until warm and gooey. Oh, and it is topped with a fried egg!

This recipe was originally published in June 2017. It has been updated for content and photos. 

I love a Croque Madame. I mean, seriously love. Who doesn't love some good toasted bread covered with cheese, a deliciously salty meat, béchamel sauce and an egg?  I mean, seriously, are there people who don't like that?

Now guys, a croque madame is typically made with ham, but I had to give it a shot with bacon and it turned out just incredible. If you want to use ham instead, you certainly can, but I dare you try the bacon.

Thick toasted bread filled with cheese and bacon. Topped with a creamy bechamel sauce. Baked until gooey and warm. Topped with a yolky egg. YES. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

Croque Monsieur Vs. Croque Madame

The main difference between these two sandwiches is the Croque Madame is topped with a fried (or poached) egg.

Ingredients

There are five key ingredients for this recipe: cheese, bacon, bread, bechamel and eggs.

Best Cheese for a Croque Madame

The most common cheese used for this sandwich is Gruyere. However, you can also use Swiss, Emmantel, or Jarlsberg.

Best Bread for Croque Madame

Sourdough bread works well, as does a nice brioche. I find that any kind of white bread works great for this recipe. You can even use white sandwich bread if that's all you have!

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter each side of your bread and toast until lightly browned and crisped on the outside.

Smear a layer of bechamel sauce on top of the bread.

Break the bacon slices in half and place it on top of the bread.

Place the sliced (or grated) cheese on top of the bacon. Top the cheese with a layer of bechamel sauce.

Place another piece of bread on top and smear another layer of bechamel over the top of the bread. **Add an additional couple slices of cheese for extra cheesiness if desired.

Place in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, until the cheese melts. While the sandwich is in the oven, fry your eggs. I prefer sunny side up, but you can top it with whatever kind of egg you like. Learn how to poach an egg perfectly.

Remove the sandwich from the oven and place the egg on top.

How to Make Bechamel Sauce

Béchamel is what gives the croque madame it's creamy richness. It's actually quite easy to make. Melt the butter and add the flour, stirring constantly until very light brown.

Add the milk, stir, bring to a boil and let simmer until desired thickness, usually about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper and add more to taste of desired. For a thinner sauce, add additional milk until desired consistency is reached.

Variations 

• Add a thin (or thick) layer of grainy Dijon mustard to each sandwich (affiliate link);
• Add 1-2 tomato slices to the sandwich;
• Replace the bacon with slices of ham;
• Substitute sliced roast beef for the bacon and blue cheese for the gruyere;
• Substitute the salt with Cajun seasoning for a Cajun flair (affiliate link);
• Add pickles to the sandwich.

Expert Tips

1. If the bechamel sauce is too thick, thin it with a little milk until you reach the desired consistency. It should coat the spoon, but still be pourable.
2. Add extra salt to the bechamel to taste. I've included the minimum amount of salt as everyone has different preferences.
3. Add additional cheese to the top before broiling if you want an extra cheesy sandwich;
4. I highly recommend cooking the eggs sunny side up or poaching them. Learn how to poach an egg perfectly.

Serving Options

• Try this simple Tossed Green Salad;
• A side of these Lyonnaise Potatoes is a must;
• OR you can try these Crispy Roast Potatoes;
• For a sweet treat, serve them with these incredible Cinnamon Swirls or these super cute Almond Meringue Cookies.

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Did you make this Croque Madame recipe? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know ow it turned out!