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Vegetarian, European

Swiss cheese croûte with green salad

Swiss cheese croûte is a recipe from French speaking Switzerland for 4 people, ready in 30 minutes, very easy to make, for €2.80 per serving. Slices of stale bread get soaked in white wine, piled with gruyère and raclette cheese, baked until bubbling, then topped with a fried egg. The key is using bread that's dry enough to soak up the wine without going soggy.

Tonight it's a classic from French speaking Switzerland, cheese croûte, slices of bread soaked in white wine under a thick layer of melted, bubbling cheese.

Swiss cheese croûte with green salad
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Cheese croûte plays on a simple contrast, the wine soaked bread stays soft under a golden, melted cheese crust. Gruyère brings the flavor, raclette gives that stretchy pull on your fork, and a pinch of nutmeg wakes everything up without taking over. The fried egg on top, with its yolk running into the cheese, turns this bread dish into a full meal.

This is the kind of dish you pull out on a cold winter night when you don't want to think too hard about dinner, with a green salad to balance all that cheese. Kids generally love the melted cheese and the egg, and the whole thing bakes in one dish without much fuss. Mon Chou suggests it for evenings when the cold outside makes you crave something quick and comforting.

The ingredients

4 people

Bakery

  • Stale country bread 8 slices

Pantry

  • Dry white wine 20 cl
  • Nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Grated gruyère 300 g
  • Raclette cheese 200 g
  • Butter 30 g
  • Eggs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 1 clove
  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Rub the bread slices with the garlic clove and arrange them in a buttered baking dish.

    Rubbing garlic on the bread is enough to flavor it without overpowering it.

  2. Drizzle them with white wine and let them soak for a few minutes. 5 min

    Pour the wine with a spoon, slice by slice, so it soaks in evenly.

  3. Cover generously with cheese, then sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper.

    Don't be shy with the cheese, it should spill over the edges.

  4. Bake at 220°C until the cheese is golden and bubbling. 12 min

    Watch closely in the last minute, the cheese can go from golden to burnt fast.

  5. Fry the eggs, place one on each croûte, and serve with the green salad. 5 min

    The runny yolk mixes into the cheese, it's a real treat.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a wide dish so the bread slices sit side by side without overlapping, the cheese melts more evenly on a flat layer.
  • Mix the gruyère and raclette together before spreading them, so you don't end up with one slice less gooey than another.
  • If your oven has a broiler, finish under it for the last two minutes for a browner, crispier top.

The variations

  • Swap the raclette for comté or emmental if you don't have any on hand, it still melts beautifully.
  • For a wine free version, soak the bread in lightly salted vegetable broth instead, the flavor changes but the texture stays the same.
  • For kids who don't like runny yolks, cook the eggs a bit longer until the yolk is fully set.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette
  • A glass of the same white wine
  • Pickles to cut through the richness

Storage

The croûte keeps for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container, though the egg doesn't hold up as well as the cheesy bread. Reheat it in the oven rather than the microwave so the cheese melts again properly. Freezing isn't recommended, the soaked bread loses its texture once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you make cheese croûte ahead of time?

You can soak the bread and layer the cheese a few hours ahead, then bake it right before serving. The fried egg should always be cooked just before you eat.

What bread works if mine isn't stale?

Dry out fresh bread slices in the oven for a few minutes before soaking them. Bread that's too fresh falls apart under the wine.

Can you replace the white wine with something else?

Vegetable broth works well for an alcohol free version, the result is a touch less flavorful but just as melty.

Which cheese gives the best stretchy pull?

Raclette cheese is the one that stretches best on a fork. Gruyère mainly adds flavor, and together they create the ideal texture.

How long does it take to make a Swiss cheese croûte, slices of bread soaked in white wine and topped with melted cheese, served with a green salad?

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

How many calories are in a Swiss cheese croûte, slices of bread soaked in white wine and topped with melted cheese, served with a green salad?

About 640 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 Swiss cheese croûte, slices of bread soaked in white wine and topped with melted cheese, served with a green salad cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

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