Croque Madame: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich with a Fried Egg

Step-by-step method

At a glance

You're building a fancy French sandwich that starts with toasted bread, creamy béchamel sauce, ham, and melted Gruyère—then crowning it with a fried egg that brings it all together. The main time investment is making the béchamel from scratch, but once that's done, assembly and baking happen quickly, leaving just enough time to fry the perfect runny-yolked egg while everything toasts to golden perfection.

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Toast the bread and grate the cheese

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the slices of toasting bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast both sides until golden. Meanwhile, grate the Gruyère.

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50 gram
Gruyère

4 piece
White Toast Bread
2/9

Start the béchamel base

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the plain flour and whisk continuously until you get a pale roux with no raw flour taste (about 2-3 minutes).

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11 gram
All-purpose wheat flour

15 gram
Unsalted Butter
3/9

Make the creamy béchamel sauce

Gradually pour in the cold milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens into a smooth, creamy consistency (about 5-7 minutes).

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250 gram
Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat)

4/9

Season the béchamel

Take the finished béchamel off the heat and season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

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3 gram
Salt

3 gram
Nutmeg

3 gram
White Pepper
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Layer the toasts

Spread the bottom toasted slice generously with the béchamel sauce. Top with slices of good-quality ham and sprinkle over some of the grated cheese.

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80 gram
Bone-in ham
6/9

Finish assembling the toasts

Lightly spread one side of the top toast slice with Dijon mustard and the other side with béchamel. Place it béchamel-side down onto the ham and cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

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1 teaspoon
Dijon Mustard
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Bake until golden

Place the assembled toasts on a baking sheet and put them in the preheated oven. Bake until the cheese has melted and turned golden (about 5-10 minutes).
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Fry the perfect sunny-side-up egg

While the toasts finish baking, heat a little butter or oil in a frying pan. Carefully crack in the egg and fry over low heat until the white has set but the yolk stays lovely and runny. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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10 gram
Unsalted Butter

2 piece
Chicken Eggs

2 gram
Salt

2 gram
Rainbow Peppercorns
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Serve your croque madame with the egg

Take the hot baked toasts out of the oven and carefully top each one with a freshly fried sunny-side-up egg. Garnish with a little fresh parsley, if you like.

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1 tablespoon
Parsley Leaves

How it went

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Croque Madame: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich with a Fried Egg

Name: Irresistible Croque Madame Sandwich
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 39 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 50 gram Gruyère; 4 piece White Toast Bread; 250 gram Fresh Whole Milk (3.5% Fat); 25 gram Unsalted Butter; 80 gram Bone-in ham; 3 gram White Pepper; 5 gram Salt; 11 gram All-purpose wheat flour; 3 gram Nutmeg; 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard; 2 piece Chicken Eggs; 2 gram Rainbow Peppercorns; 1 tablespoon Parsley Leaves

everydaybyyumsto

Prep 10 min Cook 22 min

13 Ingredients

9 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Equipment

What you'll need besides the ingredients.

Baking sheet

Baking paper

Whisk

What's in it?

3256 kcal

Calories

559 g

Carbohydrates

71 g

Fats

119 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

If you're a fan of the classic croque monsieur, croque madame will win you over completely. This version comes topped with an egg! 🍳 A sunny-side-up egg with a lovely runny yolk that ties together the crispy bread, ham, and cheese beautifully. And the best part? It's a quick treat that works any time of day – as a hearty breakfast, a comforting lunch, or a tasty snack. So, shall we make it together?

Pork High-protein Breakfast French Comfort food

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Step-by-step method

At a glance

Toast the bread and grate the cheese

For this step

Start the béchamel base

For this step

Make the creamy béchamel sauce

For this step

Season the béchamel

For this step

Layer the toasts

For this step

Finish assembling the toasts

For this step

Bake until golden

Fry the perfect sunny-side-up egg

For this step

Serve your croque madame with the egg

For this step

How it went

Nobody has tried this recipe yet

Croque Madame: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich with a Fried Egg

Ingredients — what you'll need

Equipment

What's in it?

About this recipe

Want a recipe like this every Thursday?

Similar recipes

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