Le Croque Monsieur

The Croque-Monsieur is one of the most famous French foods out there today.  It is not only a very popular food in France, but it's popularity has also grown in the United States.  In short, it's just a ham and cheese sandwich.  However, there is so much more to it than that.  It's a sort of hybrid between a wonderful ham sandwich and an updated grilled cheese sandwich.  The Croque-Monsieur is literally covered in cheese, then grilled with a sort of sauce all around it.  It is covered in a bechamel sauce, with mustard also baked in to the bread.  It is, in my opinion, one of the most delicious things in the world.  It is a mix of Gruyere Cheese and Parmesan, all blended together to create perfection.  It's crispy, crunchy, cheesey, and just about anything else you'd want in a sandwich.  It's literal translation is "Mister Crunchy," which explains the sandwich perfectly.  Similarly, the Croque-Madam is just as delicious, but has an egg fried on top of it while it is being made.  While this is very different, it is still very good. 

                                              See?  Look at that.  Doesn't that look delicious?     

One of my favorite Croque-Monsieur recipes is one of the easiest ways to make it.  To make a serving of four, it takes about twenty to thirty minutes.  To start, you will need:

-Eight Slices of White Bread

- Four ounces of softened butter

- Four Slices of Ham

- Four Slices of Gruyere Cheese

- Two slightly beaten Eggs

- One Tablespoon of Water

- Salt and Pepper

- Mustard

Spread onto each piece of bread a little of the softened butter.  Put one slice of the cheese and one slice of ham onto four pieces of the bread.  Spread a tiny bit of Mustard on the other four pieces of the bread.  Press the different pieces of bread together to make four sandwiches.  Beat the eggs and add the salt, water, and pepper together.  Then, carefully, dip the sandwiches into the mixture to coat them. Heat the rest of the butter in a frying pan, and once it has begun to sizzle, place the sandwiches in it.  Cook it for about three and a half minutes on each side, or until brown and crispy.  Then, you can serve them right away and enjoy!