Croque Madame

A few months ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to join my husband in Paris for a quick trip of sight-seeing and exploring the historical city!  He had traveled with his classmates to London then Paris during their final semester in obtaining their masters degrees from Auburn University.  Many of the wives were able to join them.  It was a once in a lifetime trip.

Of course, the macaroons were fabulous!  But I was so bummed when I found out they didn't ship to the US...until I found this little place in Winter Park, which I'll be sure to visit next time I'm there.

Surprisingly however, it wasn't the desserts that caught my eye on this trip.  One of the items on a Parisian menu that stuck out to me the most was a Croque Madame.  While most people were probably drooling over the fancy shoes, handbags, and jewelry in the store windows along Champs-Elysees or taking in the views from atop the Eiffel Tower, I was thinking about how I could recreate this masterpiece at home. ;)

Well, here it is!

The Croque Madame:  Basically, it is just a fancy grilled ham and cheese sandwich (a croque-monsieur) with a fried egg on top.  The egg is supposed to resemble a old-fashioned woman's hat making it a madame.

Here is how to make my version:

Croque Madame

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread

2 slices Gruyere cheese

Deli ham, sliced

Dijon mustard

Butter

1 large egg

Fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter 1 side of each bread slice.  Set one slice buttered side down in a skillet.  Top with a slice of cheese.  Place a few slices of ham over the cheese and place other piece of bread over the ham, buttered side up.  Heat skillet over medium heat.  Cook sandwich until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove sandwich and place on a plate.  Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the top of the sandwich then place a piece of cheese on top.  Put the sandwich back onto the skillet then place in the oven, cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Remove and place back onto the plate.

Spray a small skillet with nonstick spray and cook the egg sunny side up.  Turn egg over and cook 3 minutes longer for a soft-cooked egg or 5 minutes longer for a hard-cooked egg.  Place fried egg on top of the sandwich.  Season with fresh cracked black pepper.  Serves 1.

Jouir!

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