Better than your average grilled cheese

The scariest part of this recipe is making the béchamel, one of the classic French mother sauces! But really, it's just melting some butter, and adding flour and milk to it. That's it. You can do it! After that, it's just like slapping together a grilled cheese sandwich amped up with ham, a creamy sauce, and all the cheddar cheese you can find in your, let's face it, over-crowded cheese drawer. Follow the easy step-by-step guide below and make one for yourself tonight!

Ch-EASY Croque Monsieur

Hangry Timer: 30 minutes
Feeds: 2
Cost: $10

What You Need:

For the béchamel (creamy goodness) sauce:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cup whole milk (room temperature)
1 Tbps. whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Kosher salt

For the sandwich:
4 slices Lyon Bakery multigrain bread, or good bread from your local bakery
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 slices Red Apron ham, or just your favorite deli ham
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
Parchment paper

What To Do With It: 

Preheat oven to 425°.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it becomes white and foamy, add the flour. Stir until mixture becomes light brown and just begins to bubble. Add milk and cook, stirring, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne. Season with salt.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread each bread slice with the béchamel sauce, making sure to cover the entire slice all the way to edges. Place 2 slices of bread on the baking sheet, béchamel side up. Top each with 3 slices of ham and 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with remaining 2 slices of bread, béchamel side up, and remaining cheese, divided evenly. Sprinkle rosemary and thyme on top. Bake until cheese is brown and bubbly, about 12-15 minutes. Slice in half, and enjoy! 

Note: I like to pair this sandwich with a pickle on the side. Try Gordy's Hot Chili Spears if you're in the DC area. 

*Bringing the milk to room temperature will help the béchamel thicken faster.  If you add the milk a third at a time, the process will be even faster! 

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