The main difference between a Croque Madame and a Croque Monsieur is the addition of a fried or poached egg on top of a Croque Madame. Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame mean "Mr. Crunch" and "Mrs. Crunch" in English, and the delicious egg on the Croque Madame symbolizes a woman’s hat. On the other hand, the bread in a Croque Monsieur is dipped into beaten eggs before cooking.
Aside from the difference in egg usage, Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur are pretty much the same sandwich, and both contain grilled ham, cheese, and béchamel sauce. Read on for a quick recipe for French sandwiches and other Croque variations.
Table of Contents
Croque Madame and Monsieur: What’s The Difference?
- The croque monsieur is a grilled sandwich filled with cheese, ham, and béchamel sauce.
- The croque madame is a grilled sandwich filled with cheese, ham and béchamel sauce, topped with a fried or poached egg.
That's it, simple, huh?
When translated from French to English, "Croque monsieur" and "Croque Madame" mean "Mr. Crunch" and "Mrs. Crunch." The delicious egg on the croque madame symbolizes a woman's hat.
Tips for Making the Perfect Croque
- Cheddar cheese is a tasty choice, but a nice Emmental, Cotija, Swiss or Gruyère cheese takes it up a notch. The original version uses Emmental.
- Keep bread slices to a maximum thickness or ¾ of an inch. You don’t want the bread to over-power the fillings.
- Ensure the sandwich is cooked long enough so that the exterior is crispy and the cheese melts inside.
- Slather each slice with butter for maximum crispiness on the outside.
- Don’t use fresh bread. Instead, allow it to age a couple of days until slightly stiff.
- The real way to cook a croque is with a frying pan.
- The perfect time for cooking a croque monsieur is 4 minutes on each side.
- Use white bread or slices of brioche for some added sweetness.
- Add some grated cheese to your béchamel sauce to make it a mornay sauce.
- Add a teaspoon of mustard or some sautéed rapini to help balance out the richness of the sandwich.
Did you know?
The original croque monsieur did not contain béchamel sauce. The layers consisted of bread, butter, cheese, ham, cheese, butter, and then more bread.
Tip: Discover the best uses for leftover béchamel sauce.
Recipe
Croque Monsieur Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp butter divided
- 1 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups grated Emmental cheese or your favorite cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 slices white bread
- 16 slices ham
- 1 Tbsp chives chopped finely
Instructions
- Add 2 Tbsp butter and flour to a small saucepan and heat on med-high. Stir the ingredients frequently until combined and the flour has begun to cook (about 1 minute).
- Add milk and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook and whisk until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Reduce heat to low then add ½ cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir until melted.
- Spread remaining butter onto each slice of bread and toast on each side in a large frying pan. If the slices start to dry out, add a little more butter.
- Arrange half the toasted bread on a chopping board and layer each slice with two pieces of ham. Spread some sauce onto the meat and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining slices of bread then sprinkle over a little extra cheese.
- Place each sandwich on a lined baking tray and heat until the cheese melts.
- Switch the oven on to grill (broil) and toast the bread until browned on top.
- Serve with a garnish of chives on top.
Nutrition
Recipe
Croque Madame Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 6 Tbsp butter divided
- 1 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups grated Emmental cheese or your favorite cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 slices white bread
- 16 slices sliced ham
- 1 cup wilted spinach
Instructions
- Add 2 Tbsp butter and flour to a small saucepan and heat on med-high. Stir the mixture frequently until combined and the flour has begun to cook (about 1 minute).
- Add milk and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook and whisk until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Reduce heat to low then add ½ cup of cheese, salt, and pepper then stir until melted.
- Spread remaining butter onto each slice of bread and toast on each side in a large frying pan. If it starts to dry out, add a little more butter.
- Arrange half the toasted bread on a chopping board and layer each slice with two pieces of ham and wilted spinach. Spread some sauce onto the meat and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining slices of bread then sprinkle with extra cheese.
- Place each sandwich on a lined baking tray and heat until the cheese melts inside.
- Switch the oven on to grill (broil) and toast the bread until it browns on top.
- Heat a little butter in a frying pan and cook the eggs until whites are set then season with salt and pepper and transfer to the top of each sandwich.
Nutrition
Variations of the Croque
Back in the 1900s, the croque monsieur was the ultimate breakfast sandwich in France, much loved and revered. That was until the croque madame arrived in the 1960s. The simple addition of an egg resulted in a hugely popular menu item.
Since then, many new variations of the original sandwich have been introduced.
The Monte Cristo Sandwich
The Monte Cristo sandwich consists of two slices of white bread filled with ham and slices of Swiss cheese. The slices are dipped in egg and then fried in butter. Turkey or chicken can also be used in place of the ham.
The Monte Cristo is believed to have been inspired by the Croque Monsieur. The sandwich usually comes with jelly, which the sandwich is dipped into for extra flavor.
Some other popular variations include:
Croque Hawaiian
It makes a tasty pizza, so why not add some pineapple to a croque. I’m sure the French would be devastated by this development.
Croque Señor
Add some tomato salsa and spice up your morning routine.
Croque Bolognese
The Italians and French wouldn’t be thrilled with this variation. Adding Bolognese sauce to your croque monsieur isn’t for me, but some love it!
Croque Provençal
This variation makes sense! Add slices of tomato for some extra vegetable intake.
Croque Gagnet
If ham isn’t enough meat for you, add some andouille sausage and gouda cheese for another tempting variation.
Conclusion
The French can take credit for creating a vast number of culinary masterpieces. One of my favorites has to be their gooey, crunchy toasted sandwich filled with ham, cheese, and béchamel sauce.
If you’re unsure what the difference is between a croque monsieur and a croque madame, the answer is simple: one egg! By adding an egg to the top of your croque monsieur, it transforms into a madame.
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