Mister & Missus C: Biscuit Croque Monsieur & Madame
Happy days are here again. This brief glorious week where there are still leftovers and not yet new years resolutions.
It seems there must be a point at which you can no longer call a variation on something by the original name, especially when that something is French and steeped in tradition and opinion. That is most likely how the Monte Cristo came to be, though pronunciation might have played a roll there as well. It wasn’t just the jelly.
No jelly here, just leftovers, a tender sandwich you’ll want to eat with a fork (even without the egg). And a quote from the Count of Monte Cristo to bring it all back around.
“Often we pass beside happiness without seeing it, without looking at it, or even if we have seen and looked at it, without recognizing it.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
I couldn’t find a satisfying Happy Days clip with Mr. and Mrs. C so I give you this instead. If you are unfamiliar with jumping the shark here’s a rabbit hole for you to go down.
Mister & Missus C: Biscuit Croque Monsieur & Madame
ingredients
for the sauce
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 1 T flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 cup grated romano or parmesan, I didn’t add any salt because of the cheese, and the ham
for the rest
- 2 biscuits
- 2 slices of ham
- mustard (I used a grainy mustard but Dijon is traditional)
- a bit of butter for the oven proof pan
- more cheese for grating on top
- an egg (or two) for topping if you choose
directions
- preheat the oven to 375 with an oven proof pan (Like a cast iron skillet) on the middle rack
- make the sauce: in a medium sized pan melt the butter over medium low heat, add the flour and whisk until the flour is completely incorporated and the mixture begins to bubble but not brown (about 2-3 minutes), add the milk and whisk until smooth, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and just begins to bubble, turn off the heat and add the nutmeg, pepper, and cheese, whisk until smooth.
- remove the preheated pan, lightly butter the pan and assemble the sandwiches on the two split biscuits, mustard and ham on one half, a dollop of the sauce on the other, grate a bit of cheese over both sides, worrying not if some cheese ends up on the pan not just on the sandwich because that will be a deliciously crispy bonus at the end.
- bake for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce just begins to bubble and brown
- remove the pan from the oven and put the halves of the sandwich together, top with sauce and a bit more cheese (This would be a slice gruyere on a traditional croque), return to the oven, turn the oven up to broil and cook (still on the middle shelf) until just beginning to bubble, this should only take a minute or two.
- if you’re craving a madame now would be the time to fry up an egg or two.
Mister & Missus C: Biscuit Croque Monsieur & Madame
Ingredients
for the sauce
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 1 T flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 cup grated romano or parmesan
for the rest
- 2 biscuits
- 2 slices of ham
- mustard I used a grainy mustard but dijon is traditional
- a bit of butter for the oven proof pan
- more cheese for grating on top
- an egg or two for topping if you choose
Instructions
- preheat the oven to 375 with an oven proof pan (Like a cast iron skillet) on the middle rack
- make the sauce: in a medium sized pan melt the butter over medium low heat, add the flour and whisk until the flour is completely incorporated and the mixture begins to bubble but not brown (about 2-3 minutes), add the milk and whisk until smooth, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and just begins to bubble, turn off the heat and add the nutmeg, pepper, and cheese, whisk until smooth.
- remove the preheated pan, lightly butter the pan and assemble the sandwiches on the two split biscuits, mustard and ham on one half, a dollop of the sauce on the other, grate a bit of cheese over both sides, worrying not if some cheese ends up on the pan not the sandwich
- bake for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce just begins to bubble and brown
- remove the pan from the oven and put the halves of the sandwich together, top with sauce and a bit more cheese (This would be a slice gruyere on a traditional croque), return to the oven, turn the oven up to broil and cook (still on the middle shelf) until just beginning to bubble, this should only take a minute or two.
- if you’re craving a madame, now would be the time to fry up an egg or two.
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