Croque Monsieur (using leftover Easter ham)

These were so so yummy! It just took a few minutes to make the sauce and assemble these sandwiches.  I used left over Easter ham!  You guys know I'm all about repurposing my left overs.  Give this a try it will surprise you.  I did halve the recipe and changed up one of the cheeses using mozzerella instead of gruyere because it what I had on hand.

Croque Monsieur

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Pinch of each - nutmeg, salt, pepper
6 oz gruyere cheese (I only had mozzerella)
1/4 cup Parmesean cheese
Ham
8 bread slices
Dijon mustard

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 Make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, cooking until thick. Remove from heat. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the grated Gruyère. Set aside.

3 Lay out the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, a few minutes each side, until lightly toasted. For extra flavor you can spread some butter on the bread slices before you toast them if you want.

(Alternatively, you can assemble the sandwiches as follows in step four and grill them on a skillet, finishing them in the broiler with the bechamel sauce.)

4 Lightly brush half of the toasted slices with mustard. Add the ham slices and about 1 cup of the remaining Gruyère cheese. Top with the other toasted bread slices.

5 Spoon on the béchamel sauce to the tops of the sandwiches. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Place on a broiling pan. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese topping is bubbly and lightly browned.

If you top this sandwich with a fried egg it becomes a Croque Madame.

Yield: Makes 4 sandwiches.