When it comes to preparing a nice Croque Madame, bechamel is a must. And since yesterday I prepared a batch from which I ended up having some leftovers, I decided there was no better moment than this for a fabulous breakfast.

I won't linger any longer on the intro because I know that you most probably just want to find out how to make Croque Madame and not how I decided to prepare this dish. So, here goes.

• As I said above, you will need bechamel. If you don't have some already prepared, I suggest you start with this step.

You can use store-bought bechamel, but I don't advise it. What I do recommend is to check out the one I used when I made my Moussaka recipe.

• Now, regardless of whether you have some leftover bechamel like me or prepare it for the Croque Madame sandwich, you will need it to be warm.
• Grate all the cheese and add it to the warm bechamel, leaving only 2 tbsp behind. Stir well to combine and focus on the next part.

‍

‍

• Take the bread slices. On two of them, spread the Dijon mustard and top them with the ham. If using jalapenos, place them on the ham.
• On the remaining bread slices, spread the bechamel sauce and top it with the remaining grated cheese.

‍

• Bring the slices together (one with mustard and ham and one with bechamel) and create the sandwich.
• In a pan, melt the butter. I suggest you start with 2 tbsp and see if you will need to add more.
• Fry the sandwiches in the melted butter till they are golden brown on both sizes.

‍

‍

• It should be around 2 minutes per size.

‍

‍

• In a different pan, heat up the frying oil and cook the eggs sunny-side-up.
• Plate the sandwiches and top them with the fried eggs. Serve immediately.

This sandwich has French origins and has been served in the Parisian cafes for a very long time as a snack. More precisely, the first attestation of the dish is from 1910.

From there to now, it has received many interpretations. Today, you can find lots of variations that have as a starting point just these few ingredients: bread, butter, ham, and cheese. Even the famous chef Jacques Pepin makes a similar recipe, replacing the ham with chicken.

Anyhow, if somebody asks you 'what is Croque Madame and how do you make it?', you will know the answer. However, when it comes to this sandwich, another great debate is regarding Croque Monsieur vs Croque Madame.

To make Croque Monsieur, all you have to do is not use the fried egg. Instead, you top the sandwich with some more bechamel and Gruyere cheese and bake it in the oven at 220 degrees Celsius for a couple of minutes till the top is bubbly and golden. That's it.

I don't usually care about the Croque Madame calories. It is such a good breakfast that it really doesn't matter. However, if you are very strict about this aspect, you can find the nutrition facts below.

* If you want, you can also bake the Croque Madame sandwich as would the Croque Monsieur and only then top it with the fried egg. Yet, I find it a little bit too heavy with the extra bechamel.

** If you want to make everything from scratch, might I suggest our easy no knead bread.

** Don't forget to tag us on Instagram when making this.