Geoffrey Zakarian's Croque Monsieur | The Kitchen

This classic French sandwich is decadent and luxurious. It takes a little more technique than your typical lunch, but it’s certainly worth the effort. Make sure to use a high-quality Gruyère and thin-sliced French ham! #GeoffreyZakarian #FoodNetwork #TheKitchen #CroqueMonsieur Watch Geoffrey on #TheKitchen, Saturdays at 11a|10c and #StreamOnMax: https://foodtv.com/StreamOnMaxYT! Get the recipe ▶ https://foodtv.com/4hCPJVY Subscribe to Food Network ▶ https://foodtv.com/3RLCgkh Talented food experts gather in the kitchen to share lively conversation and delicious recipes. From simple supper ideas to the latest food trends, they cover all things fun in food! Welcome to Food Network, where learning to cook is as simple as clicking play! Grab your apron and get ready to get cookin' with some of the best chefs around the world. We'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at our best shows, take you inside our favorite restaurant and be your resource in the kitchen to make sure every meal is a 10/10! Croque Monsieur RECIPE COURTESY OF GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN Level: Intermediate Total: 1 hr 10 min Active: 45 min Yield: 1 serving Ingredients Béchamel: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed to reach the desired consistency 1 cup grated Gruyere 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper Sandwich: 2 slices French bread or sourdough 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3 to 4 slices Gruyère plus 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère 4 to 5 very thin slices ham, such as French ham or Jambon Royale Euro-style ham 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper Wedge Parmesan, for grating Directions For the béchamel: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the nutmeg and toast for a minute or so. Add the flour and whisk into the melted butter until smooth. Cook, whisking, until the flour turns a light golden color, 6 to 7 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and slowly stream in the milk, whisking, until thickened. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour no longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes. Add the Gruyère, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stir until melted. Season with salt and black pepper. (As the mixture sits, it can thicken, so you can whisk in more milk if needed.) For the sandwich: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On one slice of bread, spread the Dijon mustard. On the other, spread about 1 tablespoon béchamel. Add 3 slices Gruyère on one side, followed by the ham, then 1/2 cup of the grated Gruyère. Place the other piece of bread over the grated Gruyère. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Season the butter with salt and pepper. When the butter just begins to sizzle, add the sandwich. Place a heavy-bottomed cast-iron pan on top of the sandwich to serve as a press and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 minutes more. (No need to use the press on the second side.) Top with 1/4 to 1/2 cup béchamel, followed by the remaining cup grated Gruyère, allowing some of the cheese to fall into the skillet to create a frico-like crust around the bottom edge of the sandwich. Top with a couple tablespoons grated Parmesan and place in the oven until the cheese is melted and begins to brown on top, 5 to 10 minutes. Subscribe to our channel to fill up on the latest must-eat recipes, brilliant kitchen hacks and content from your favorite Food Network shows. ▶ WEBSITE: https://www.foodnetwork.com ▶ FULL EPISODES: https://watch.foodnetwork.com ▶ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FoodNetwork ▶ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/FoodNetwork ▶ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FoodNetwork ▶ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@foodnetwork Geoffrey Zakarian's Croque Monsieur | The Kitchen | Food Network https://youtu.be/8AvU9IEw0Pw