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Hot, cheesy and irresistibly delicious! Croque Monsieur sandwiches are a French classic toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a béchamel sauce. We put a lighter twist on the traditional recipe and swapped the béchamel sauce with a healthier greek yogurt “béchamel” sauce. It’s just as delicious and so easy to make!
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Croque Monsieur with Greek Yogurt “Béchamel” Sauce
Croque Monsieur Ingredients
Sandwich Ingredients
- Thick white bread (French loaf or sourdough)
- Dijon mustard
- Gruyere cheese
- Sliced ham
- Butter
- Greek yogurt béchamel sauce
Greek Yogurt Béchamel Sauce Ingredients
- Greek yogurt
- Milk
- Parmesan cheese
- Onion powder
- Nutmeg
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
What is a Croque Monsieur Sandwich?
It is a French version of a ham and cheese sandwich. It’s the little things about this sandwich that elevate it! For example, there isn’t just cheese melted between the bread slices, there is cheese melted on top! YUM!
In a croquet monsieur, slices of ham and gruyere cheese are sandwiched between two thick slices of white bread. The sandwich also has a spread of dijon mustard and béchamel sauce.
You start by heating the sandwich on a hot skillet to melt the cheese. Next you flip the sandwich over to evenly toast and heat both sides. Once you cheese is melted and bread is toasted, you spread extra béchamel sauce and cheese on top and broil it to melt the cheese.
The end result is a savory and tangy hot ham sandwich that you’ll have you craving another after your last bite.
Greek Yogurt “Béchamel” Sauce
A traditional béchamel sauce is made by heating butter flour, milk and sometimes herbs for flavor. It is delicious, but we wanted to create and alternative that was quicker to assemble and a bit healthier.
The greek yogurt “béchamel” sauce is a lighter alternative to the traditional sauce. It makes the sandwich super indulgent without the guilt of extra calories. To make, you whisk together yogurt, a dash of milk, onion powder, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. When blended together, the creamy sauce resembles a delicious béchamel.
What bread do you use for croque monsieur?
You should use a bread that is thick and will be sturdy to hold the sandwich. If you have a soft, thin sandwich bread, the sandwich may not hold together. We recommend a sourdough, country loaf or even a French bread.
Meal Prepping Croque Monsieur Sandwiches
If you’re a mealprepper or wanting to plan out some lunches for your work week, Croque Monsieur’s are something simple to add to your meal prepping regimin! You can make several ahead of time and have lunches throughout the week. Here are some tips to remember if you are meal prepping hot sandwiches for the week.
- Cool on a cooling rack. If you place a hot sandwich on a plate right after baking, the bread could get a bit soggy from the condensation that builds on the plate. You want there to be air flow to completely cool the sandwich. Best way to cool a hot sandwich so it doesn’t get soggy is to place it on a cooling rack.
- Let the sandwich cool completely before storing. This is also important so your sandwich isn’t soggy.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container or storage bag.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Sandwiches that have been cooked will be best 3 days after storing.
- Reheat in a toaster oven. A toaster oven will give the sandwich some crispiness that may have been lost. Turn oven onto 350ºF and reheat for about 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted. You can reheat in the microwave, but you wont get the crispiness like you would in a toaster oven.
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Croque Monsieur with Greek Yogurt “Béchamel” Sauce
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Description
A modern twist on a french classic: a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a lighter béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices French loaf or sourdough
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- 3 oz ham sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
Greek Yogurt “Béchamel” Sauce
- 8 oz greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Start by making your “béchamel” sauce. Whisk yogurt, milk, parmesan and seasonings in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each bread slice. Place one slice on the skillet, butter-side down. Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on the top of the bread slice, add a slice of cheese (or 1/4 shredded cheese), ham slices and the other half of the cheese cheese on top. Before you place your other slice of bread on top, spread 2 tbsp of béchamel sauce onto the side of the bread that doesn’t have butter on it.
- Cook until cheese starts to melt, 4-5 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip the sandwich over to heat the other side.
- Once bread is toasted and cheese is melted, transfer your sandwich to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread some “béchamel” sauce on top and some extra cheese. Broil for 4-5 minutes until cheese has bubbled and melted. Slice and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
