Best Rachael Rays Croque Monsieur Recipes

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Place a griddle or large skillet over medium heat
• Place a small pot over medium heat with the butter
• Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook about 1 minute
• Whisk in milk and bring up to a bubble
• Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes
• Remove pot from the heat and stir in some salt, pepper, nutmeg and the Dijon
• Butter one side of each slice of bread
• Build the sandwiches by smearing the dry side of each slice with some of the milk sauce then stacking the ham and cheese onto four slices of bread
• Cap the sandwiches off with the remaining four slices of bread, buttered side out
• Cook sandwiches until golden brown and toasted, and the cheese has melted
• 3-4 minutes per side
• Serve warm

HOT DOG CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small pan over medium to medium-high heat until the foam subsides
• Sprinkle in flour and whisk; add milk and whisk to thicken sauce
• Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; remove from heat
• Meanwhile, simmer dogs in a half inch of water in a nonstick skillet to heat through, 3-5 minutes
• Remove from water, dry then butterfly open
• Pour the water out of pan and return it to medium-high heat
• Add a drizzle of oil and brown and crisp the butterflied hot dogs on both sides
• Cut the hot dogs in half across
• Heat a Panini press, griddle pan or large, cast-iron skillet
• (If making panini, skip the next step
• ) Lightly spread one side of the sliced bread with mayonnaise or soft butter
• Build the sandwiches with greased sides of bread facing out
• Layer the bread with béchamel sauce, cheese, a grilled hot dog (set the halved dogs side by side to cover bread in single layer, 1 dog per sandwich), more cheese and some crispy onions
• Slather Dijon on 1 side of four slices of bread, set some sliced cornichons into the mustard then set bread tops in place with the Dijon facing in and the mayo/butter facing out, if using
• Grill or press sandwiches until deeply golden and cheese has melted
• Cut corner to corner and serve with a simple green salad of upland cress or arugula dressed with white balsamic or wine vinegar and olive oil, flaky salt, and crispy, thin-cut oven frites/fries tossed with minced garlic and herbs like parsley and thyme, and finished with flaky salt

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Place a small sauce pot over medium low heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter in it. Whisk in a rounded tablespoon of flour and cook 1 minute or so. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble then drop heat to low. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Dijon. When sauce coats back of a spoon, turn off heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets, both over medium low heat. When butter melts add 2 large eggs to the first skillet, keeping the whites separate from each other. To the second skillet add 2 slices bread and toast lightly on first side then turn the bread. Top turned bread liberally with sauce and 2 slices of the ham and the Swiss cheese on each slice of bread. Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the tops of the open faced sandwiches. Cover the pan with foil and turn off heat. Let pan stand 5 minutes to melt cheese and set sauce and eggs.
• Top sandwiches with chopped herb or herbs of choice and serve. Spoon any leftover sauce over top of the eggs before garnishing.

RACHAEL RAY'S CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Heat a large pan or griddle over med-low to medium heat.
• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat; add in 2 tablespoons butter and melt.
• Whisk flour into butter and cook 1 minute; then whisk in the half-and-half.
• Add in dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; cook for 2 minutes to thicken; remove from heat.
• Spread bread slices with the sauce and make sandwiches, using a couple of folded slices of ham per sandwich.
• Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons butter lightly across the outside faces of each sandwich.
• Spread the shredded cheese across a plate and gently press each side of the sandwiches into the cheese, then place on the hot pan or griddle.
• The cheese will brown and form a crisp coating as the sandwich cooks and heats through.
• cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until evenly golden.

CROQUE MONSIEUR STYLE MONTE CRISTO CROUTONS WITH FRISEE SALAD AND SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a griddle pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
• Whisk together the marmalade, shallot, 1 tablespoon of the Dijon mustard and vinegar, in a small bowl. Add the extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream, while whisking, and then season the dressing with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• Combine the romaine with the frisee on large platter or in a shallow bowl.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a sauce pot over medium heat, then whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 1 1/3 cups of the milk and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of mustard and turn off the heat. Spread 4 slices of bread with the white sauce and top each with a slice of cheese, 2 slices folded ham, another slice of cheese. Spread the remaining bread with sauce and cover the sandwiches. Trim the crusts, if you prefer, then quarter the sandwiches.
• Beat the eggs with the remaining milk in a shallow bowl and dip the sandwiches in the batter as you add them to the griddle. Wipe the griddle with butter nested in a paper towel before you start adding the sandwiches. Griddle the sandwiches until deep golden, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Toss the salad with the dressing and divide it among 4 plates. Arrange 4 Croque Monsieur Monte Cristo croutons on top of each salad and serve.

CROQUE MONSIEURS A LA RACHELLE MY TAKE ON FRENCH GRILLED CHEESE AND HAM SAMMYS

Steps:

• Line up 8 slices of bread on a work surface.
• Heat a small saucepot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and melt. Add flour to the butter and whisk together. Cook flour and butter together for 1 to 2 minutes, then whisk in half-and-half or milk. Bring sauce to a bubble and thicken another 1 or 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt, then whisk in prepared Dijon mustard.
• Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat.
• Spread each slice of bread with Dijon bechamel sauce and build 4 sandwiches with 2 or 3 slices of ham and 2 slices of cheese per sandwich. The Dijon bechamel sauce will help hold the meat and cheese in place. Make slices of ham and cheese rest flat; do not pile the meat or cheese. Butter the tops of the 4 sandwiches and set onto griddle or grill, buttered side down. Butter opposite side of each sandwich while the first side is grilling. Toast sandwiches 4 minutes on each side, turn with thin spatula. Serve with cornichons, pickled onions and extra Dijon mustard to pass at table.

FRENCH ONION CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• For the onions: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter. Heat until the butter starts to foam, then add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and bay leaf, and cook to caramelize the onions, about 30 minutes.
• Deglaze the onions with the sherry and then add the stock. Reduce until just a few spoonfuls of stock remain, then keep warm.
• For the sauce: In saucepot, warm the milk. In another pan, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat and whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the warm milk, bring to a bubble, and then season with salt, pepper and some nutmeg. Cook to thicken the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, then remove from the heat and stir in the mustard.
• For the salad: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and honey, and then drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the endive, frisee and radicchio and toss to coat.
• For the sandwiches: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and top each with some caramelized onions, 2 slices ham, some bechamel and cheese. Bake the sandwiches until brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan set over medium heat, add some butter and cook the eggs sunny-side up or over easy. Top the sandwiches with an egg and serve with some salad.