Ingredients
Béchamel Sauce:
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 3 tbsp of flour
- 1½ cups of hot milk
- ¼ tsp of nutmeg
- ¼ tsp of dry mustard
Bread and Toppings:
- 8 slices of Campagnolo bread
- 8 slices of smoked ham
- 8 thin slices of tomato
- 200 g of strong cheddar, shredded
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Preparation
Béchamel Sauce:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the shallots and garlic in butter until the shallots are translucent.
- Add the flour, dry mustard, and nutmeg all at once; mix well.
- Add half of the hot milk and whisk vigorously. Once well-combined, add the rest of the milk and whisk again.
- Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes and then set aside.
Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 400º F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 4 slices of bread on the sheet, one beside the other. Baste each slice with 2 tbsp of the béchamel sauce.
- Top each slice of bread with ham and tomato; evenly spread half the cheese over top. Top with the remaining slices of bread.
- Spread the rest of the béchamel sauce and the remaining cheese over the top slices of bread.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is browned.
- In the meantime, in a non-stick pan, cook the 4 eggs in oil, sunny side up. Once the egg white is well cooked, place one egg on each of the croque madames.
- Plate with a green salad or some crudités.
*Recipe courtesy of Ann-Rika Martin