Croque Madame Casserole

Tonight's dinner had all my favorite elements: bread, cheese, and ham along with some extra special bits of goodness. This recipe is slightly modified from a recipe I tried from Paula Deen. I have tried a few other recipes and this one is my fave. You may have heard of a Croque Monsieur. The only difference between the two is the Madame has an egg and the Monsieur does not.  Here are some pics I took along the way:

Here is everything you will need:

 First start by melting 6 tbsps of butter (yes you read correct) and once melted whisk in 1/4 cup of flour and  cook for 1 minute to get rid of flour taste.

 Slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk and cook for 3-5 minutes until thick and bubbling.

 Add in dijon, pepper, salt, and nutmeg and whisk together. 

 Mixture should look like a thick cream sauce.

 Pour a thin layer of sauce in bottom of greased 8 x 8 casserole dish.

 Layer slices of bread on top of sauce. Overlapping is ok.

 Now layer slices of ham on top of bread.

 Now goes a layer of cheese. Remember its Gruyere and probably not cheap so make sure you don't overdo it. In my opinion its cheese so it can never be overdone but I would hate for you to break the bank. 

 Continue on with your layers until you end up with the last layer being sauce. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

 During the last couple minutes of your casserole cooking start your eggs. You can do them in batches or like me since I have a big pan I did them all at once. Fry them or do them over medium however you choose. We like a little runny yoke so I don't cook them as long.

 Layer on top of casserole and use remaining cheese. Pop back into the oven until cheese is melted.

 Great served with fruit if for breakfast or a light salad if for dinner or like us we just had it alone because it is not a light dish. ENJOY!!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus 2 tablespoons for eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoons salt (you don't need much since the cheese and ham are already salty)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper plus more for eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or pre-grated is fine
• 8-10 slices sourdough bread (I wouldn't use anything other than a white bread)
• 3/4 pound black forest ham
• 1 1/2-2 cups grated Gruyere (I used an 8 oz. package)
• 6 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degreesF. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

Melt 6 tablespoons  of butter in a large skillet over low heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick and bubbling (about 3 to 5 minutes). Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour a thin layer of the sauce into the prepared baking dish and cover it with 4-5 slices of bread, then slices of the ham and an even layer of the Gruyere. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a third layer of sauce to cover all. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cut into 6 equal pieces. (This makes it easier for serving up later)

Working in 2 batches (or 1), melt butter in the skillet of medium-high heat. Crack eggs in the skillet and season with pepper (again I didn't add salt since its already a salty dish). Cook until the whites are nearly set, flip over and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. You are going to top each portion of the casserole with a fried or over medium egg. Top with remaining Gruyere and pop back in the oven for a few more minutes until cheese melts.

This is so yummy and big thanks to Paula Deen for the UH-Mazing inspiration. Bon Appetite! <3K