Mushroom Croque-Monsieur

By LRay

Recipes & Menus / recipes

Mushroom Croque-Monsieur
This traditional French sandwich is topped with a classic Mornay sauce (a béchamel sauce with cheese).

6 servings

PREP TIME:

1 hour 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME:

1 hour 15 minutes

Recipe by Marlena Spieler

Photograph by Marcus Nilsson

March 2011

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 1 1/2
• tablespoons
• butter
• 1 1/2 1 1/2
• tablespoons
• all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 1 1/2
• cups
• whole milk
• 1 1
• bay leaf
• 1/2 1/2
• cup
• finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Hot pepper sauce
• 1 1
• 8-ounce package crimini (baby bella) or button mushrooms, trimmed
• 7 7
• tablespoons
• butter, room temperature, divided
• 2 2
• tablespoons
• minced shallot
• 12 12
• 1/3-inch-thick slices egg bread
• 6 6
• thin ham slices
• 12 12
• ounces
• Gruyère cheese; 9 ounces thinly sliced, 3 ounces grated
• 2 2
• tablespoons
• grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh tarragon leaves (optional)

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 75mins
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

mornay sauce

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high; whisk until mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium; stir until sauce coats back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and nutmeg. Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

sandwiches

Place mushrooms in processor. Using on/off turns, process until finely chopped. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallot; stir until mushrooms are browned and dry, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool.

Preheat broiler. Spread remaining butter over 1 side of bread slices. Place bread, buttered side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden, watching closely and rotating sheet halfway through broiling, about 3 minutes. Cool bread. Preheat oven to 450°F. Turn 6 bread slices over; top with ham and sliced cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, broiled side up. Press to compress. Spread about 2 tablespoons sauce over sandwiches, leaving 1/3-inch plain border. Divide mushroom mixture atop sauce. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère and Parmesan.

Bake sandwiches until cheese inside melts and cheese on top turns golden, about 10 minutes. Top with tarragon, if desired.

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