The croque monsieur is
an iconic French sandwich. What sets the croque apart from other grilled ham and cheese sandos is
the inclusion of a creamy béchamel
sauce that ups the melt factor by 10. It’s not terribly fussy to make, and is
definitely worth the additional effort. Just watch that you keep the heat
medium to low. You can also make the béchamel ahead of time and reheat it when
you’re ready to use.
We swapped out the traditional gruyere for our Smokey
Cheddar. Our cheddars are made with extra rich milk, so they melt like a dream.
The Applewood smoke that permeates every bite of this cheese adds a great
flavor note to this croque. We think our special Pepper Alpine would also be
amazing in this one!
Ingredients
Béchamel
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch nutmeg
For Each Sandwich
Softened butter
2 slices of thick
sourdough, white or wheat bread
Dijon mustard
2 thin slices ham
1 cup shredded Face
Rock Smokey Cheddar
Directions
Béchamel
Over medium heat, melt
butter in a small saucepan.
Add flour and whisk
together for about 1-2 minutes until the flour no longer smells raw. Keep
whisking, and slowly pour in the milk.
Whisk constantly, and
bring the sauce to a simmer. Don’t forget to whisk around the edges of the pot!
Reduce the heat to low
and cook until sauce coats the back of a spoon when dipped into the sauce,
about 3 minutes. Season sauce with salt and nutmeg.
Keep warm while
preparing sandwiches. If you make the sauce ahead, reheat it in a saucepan over
low heat, adding milk if needed to loosen it to a pouring consistency.
For Each Sandwich
Butter one side of
each slice of bread and place buttered side down on a clean cutting board.
On both slices of
bread: spread Dijon mustard, arrange 1 slice of ham, 1 tablespoon of béchamel,
and a layer of grated Smokey. Close the sandwiches.
Preheat your air fryer
(if needed) to 400°.
Place the sandwich in the
air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes. Remove basket, spread 2 tablespoons
béchamel sauce and a sprinkle of Smokey Cheddar over the top of the sandwich,
and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden
brown.
