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Meat, Busy evenings

Croque-madame with green salad

Croque-madame with green salad is a hot ham, gruyère and béchamel sandwich topped with a fried egg, served alongside a green salad. It serves 4, takes 30 minutes, is rated easy, and costs €2.70 per person. The key is frying the eggs separately at the last minute so the yolks stay runny.

Tonight, croque-madame, with its béchamel, melted gruyère and a runny egg on top, served with a little salad.

Croque-madame with green salad
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.70
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

A croque-madame is a croque-monsieur wearing its best egg on a weeknight. Under the golden, melted gruyère crust, the béchamel keeps the bread soft while the ham brings a straightforward, savory bite. Then there's the egg on top, its yolk waiting to be pierced so it runs down and ties the whole sandwich together.

This is the kind of dish the whole table agrees on without a fight. Kids love the runny egg and stretchy cheese, while adults get the comfort of a simple dish done right. The green salad on the side adds just enough freshness so you're not left with only rich bites. A rushed weeknight or a lazy Sunday evening in front of a movie, it works every time.

The ingredients

4 people

Bakery

  • Sandwich bread 8 slices

Butcher

  • Ham 4 slices
  • Eggs 4

Dairy

  • Shredded gruyère 200 g
  • Milk 30 cl
  • Butter 50 g

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 30 g
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Make the béchamel by melting 30 g of butter, stirring in the flour, then whisking in the hot milk little by little with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. 8 min

    Whisk constantly to avoid lumps, the sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

  2. Top four slices of bread with ham and gruyère, cover with the remaining slices and spread béchamel on top.

    Spread it generously on top, the gratin is the best part.

  3. Sprinkle with the remaining gruyère and bake at 200°C until the top is nicely golden. 12 min

    Finish under the broiler for a few minutes for a beautiful crust.

  4. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in the remaining butter over low heat. 4 min

    Take them off the heat as soon as the white sets, the yolk keeps cooking off the heat.

  5. Place an egg on each croque, serve with the salad dressed with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

    Pierce the yolk at the table, it makes a natural sauce.

Our tips to get it right

  • Warm the milk before adding it to the butter and flour base, the béchamel thickens faster and without lumps.
  • Use slightly thick sandwich bread, it holds the béchamel and gratin better without going soggy.
  • If you don't have a broiler, leave the oven on its highest setting for a few minutes and watch closely, gruyère burns fast.

The variations

  • Swap the ham for prosciutto or bacon for a bolder flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the ham and add drained spinach or sautéed mushrooms instead.
  • For a quick kid-friendly version, skip the béchamel step and just use gruyère with a little cream spread on the bread.

What to serve it with

  • A light soup starter
  • A glass of apple juice
  • Pickles for some tang

Storage

Croque-madame is best eaten right away, the runny egg and crisp gratin don't hold up well over time. You can assemble the croques without the egg ahead of time and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 day, then bake them and add the egg just before serving. The béchamel alone freezes well, but not the assembled croque.

Questions about this dish

Can you prepare the croques ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the croques with béchamel and gruyère in the morning and keep them in the fridge. Bake them at the last minute and add the egg just before serving so it stays runny.

How do you avoid a lumpy béchamel?

Add the hot milk gradually while whisking constantly, never all at once. If lumps do form, a vigorous whisk or an immersion blender will smooth the sauce out.

Can you use a different cheese instead of gruyère?

Yes, emmental or comté both work well and melt the same way. Avoid very soft cheeses, they tend to release water while baking.

How do you get a fried egg with a perfectly runny yolk?

Cook the egg over low heat and take the pan off the heat as soon as the white sets, the yolk keeps cooking from residual heat. Too high a heat cooks the yolk too fast and toughens the edges of the white.

How long does it take to make a croque-madame with a green salad?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a croque-madame with a green salad?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a croque-madame with a green salad cost?

About €2.70 per serving, or €10.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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