Croque Monsieur Baked under Béchamel and Gruyère

What you need

• 25 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, for the béchamel
• 25 g (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) whole milk
• 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 8 slices white sandwich bread, pain de mie
• 15 g (1 tbsp) soft butter, for spreading
• 4 slices cooked ham, thin, such as jambon de Paris
• 200 g (2 cups) Gruyère, grated

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

2. 2

   Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 min without letting it colour.

3. 3

   Pour in the milk gradually, whisking all the time, and simmer until the sauce is thick and smooth, 4-5 min.

4. 4

   Season the béchamel with the nutmeg, salt and pepper, then stir in a small handful of the Gruyère.

5. 5

   Spread the soft butter thinly over one side of 4 slices of bread and lay them buttered side down on the baking sheet.

6. 6

   Spread each with a spoonful of béchamel, then add the ham and half of the remaining Gruyère.

7. 7

   Close with the remaining bread and spread the rest of the béchamel over the tops.

8. 8

   Scatter the last of the Gruyère over the béchamel.

9. 9

   Bake until the bottoms are crisp and the cheese has melted, 10-12 min.

10. 10

    Switch the oven to the grill (broiler) and cook until the tops bubble and brown in patches, 2-3 min. Serve hot.

Imported from tastetopics.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.