The Croque Monsieur, or “Crispy Mister,” appeared on Parisian café menus in 1910. The original Croque Monsieur was simply a hot ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, fried in butter. Some believe it was accidentally created when French workers left their lunch pails by a hot radiator and came back later to discover the cheese in their sandwiches had melted.
That’s an entirely plausible story, but an unacknowledged cook somewhere had the culinary ingenuity to take that bland hot sandwich and sauté it in butter until it turned crisp and golden brown. That move is what truly deserved the fame and honor for this scrumptiously addictive sandwich.
Croque Monsieur Recipes
Found all over France today, the Croque Monsieur - casually referred to as a Croque - has as many recipes and variations as it has cooks. The crunchy sandwich is served as an appetizer, snack, or casual meal. Try one of these recipes for an incredible experience – you only though you knew grilled cheese sandwiches!
Apple and Sage Croque Monsieur Recipe
This apple and sage Croque Monsieur is a delicious variation on the original French recipe. It features sweet-tart apples, herb mayonnaise, melted cheese, and hot ham sandwiched between two buttery, crisp pieces of bread.
The Croque Madame is an easy to make, crunchy cheese sandwich with an egg and Béchamel sauce on top. It’s a very easy recipe; if you’ve ever fried an egg for breakfast, you can make this Croque.
This Croque Provencal recipe includes tomatoes, Raclette cheese, and herbed mayonnaise. An extra layer of richness is added by spreading a bit of homemade homemade Béchamel sauce over the finished sandwich.
The Croque Tartiflette is an easy to make recipe that satisfies comfort food cravings. Just like the famous Tartiflette casserole, this sandwich includes a creamy Béchamel sauce, melted Reblochon cheese, and sliced potatoes in a crunchy, buttery sandwich.
Traditional Croque Monsieur Recipe
This traditional Croque Monsieur recipe is the closest version of the original sandwich served in Parisian cafes in the early 1900’s.
