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Whenever I hear Croque Monsieur I immediately think of something incredibly decadent and super fancy, consumed on the streets of Paris by the most incredibly chic people sitting outside cafes watching the world go by. I always think of the Nancy Meyers film It’s Complicated with Meryl Streep describing how she ate Croque Monsieur as a student in France – how dreamy! The reality is that Croque Monsieur is just a really sexy French version of a ham & cheese sandwich. It’s an elevated version of a classic favourite and this version, although not at all authentically French, is easy enough for anyone to master with ingredients you can find local to you.
Of course it’s wonderful to have an authentic Croque Monsieur the way it was intended, on thick French bread with tons of butter, layered with ham, cheese & dijon mustard, or with a runny fried egg on top if it’s a Croque Madame, perhaps with the Eiffel Tower in the background if you’re lucky enough. It’s also ok to have a slightly easier, quick and accessible alternative you can put together anywhere, any time to get that vibe when you crave it most. If you love something hot, savoury, full of flavour and with plenty of oozing melted cheese, then this recipe is for you!
Because these little parcels are small enough to hold in your hand, they make a great party food and provide plenty of soakage for cocktail and wine guzzling guests. I also like to eat these cold as leftovers after storing them in the fridge or when they’ve cooled to room temperature, so they’re perfect for picnics. When cooled or chilled, they take on a stodginess that’s comforting in a different way to when they’re hot and melting – it’s like two dishes for the price of one.
As far as kid food goes, these are sure to be a hit at mealtimes, birthday parties, sleepovers or as an after-school snack for your youngsters. For little palates you might consider cutting the mustard quantity in half in case it’s a bit too strong for kiddos who aren’t used to eating Dijon Mustard or you could eliminate it altogether if they’re fussy eaters.
With so few ingredients and necessities, this is a recipe that can easily travel to a holiday home or rental. I plan to make these on our trips when we stay in Airbnb’s because they’re so easy, require very little in the way of kitchen kit, we can pack them up to snack on all day and the ingredients are easy to find just about anywhere. The last thing I want on holiday when I’m feeling totally relaxed is to try to cook something complicated in a kitchen I’m not familiar with. This recipe pretty much works for everything, a multitude of occasions and it’s easy to remember if you need to make it in a pinch. Let’s get started!
What equipment do I need?
Ingredients
- 320g packet ready rolled puff pastry (I prefer Jus-Rol)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard (I prefer Maille, but you can use any brand of Dijon)
- 8 slices (200g) Emmental Cheese (you can also use Leerdammer, Gruyere or other Swiss cheese style slices of your choice)
- 8 slices honey ham (or ham of your choice)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Nutmeg (optional)
Method
- Take your puff pastry roll out of the fridge and leave it to warm up for about 5 or 10 minutes while still in its box as this will make it a little softer and easier to work with. I like to take it out of the fridge in the morning for example when I first wake up and leave it while I make my coffee before I get started.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / 400° F. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
- Unroll your pastry and leave it on the grease proof paper it comes in. This will catch any mess, but it will also be useful when you try to roll it back up it later.
- Dump the mustard out onto the middle of the flat rectangle of pastry. Using a pastry brush, paint the mustard as evenly as you can all over the surface of the puff pastry dough.
- Layer the cheese slices on top of the mustard. Try as much as you can to make the layer even and to cover the entire surface of the pastry dough. However, don’t get too hung up on this – it’s not necessary to be perfect. We’re just trying to make sure every bite has some glorious, melty cheese in it.
- Now layer your ham on top. I like to buy the square packs of ham because it pretty much fits perfectly, however you can also use other ham or shapes of slices and you may choose to sort of either tear it up or drape it in layers if it’s super thinly sliced or if the slices are large.
- Starting at one end of the longer side of the pastry dough, roll your layered pastry dough in towards itself as tightly as you can so the fillings don’t fall out (but don’t worry – they won’t) until you have one long roll. You can use the lining paper to help you with this if it’s a bit sticky. Press along the seam to try to seal it as much as possible without getting too stressed about it and lay it carefully on a cutting board on top of its paper with the seam on the bottom.
- Now it’s time to slice it and you have a decision to make. You can cut these as large or as small as you like. I typically use a measurement of two fingers, but I suggest you aim for 6 to 8 pieces. However you can make them larger or smaller if you like. Slice these with a sharp knife. You may find it works easier to do a gentle sort of sawing motion as you cut through. Don’t worry if the slices are a little jagged or if you have shards of ham hanging out. A bit of roughness only makes these little rolls look more inviting.
- Place the slices with the seam side down on your lined baking sheet. It’s absolutely fine if they’re not round and look a little flat. Remember they will puff up in the oven.
- Using your pastry brush again, paint the tops of the little parcels with your beaten egg. This is called an egg wash and it’s what gives the tops a golden crust on top. Grate a little bit of nutmeg on top and bake these for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top and with cheese melting through the middle.
- Leave to cool for about 5 minutes (if you can wait that long) before serving.
