Croque Monsieur with Granny Smith Apples
Cuisine: French
The Croque Monsieur is a beloved French grilled ham and cheese sandwich, traditionally made with béchamel sauce and Gruyère cheese. This recipe elevates the classic with the addition of crisp Granny Smith apples, adding a bright, tart counterpoint to the rich and savory flavors.

Difficulty: MEDIUM
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serving Size: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1½ Tablespoon All-purpose flour
- 1 Cup Hot milk
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Pinch Nutmeg
- 6 Ounces Gruyere, grated (about 2.5 cups)
- ½ Cup Freshly grated Parmesan
- 12 Slice Preferred type of bread (we used French)
- Dijon mustard as needed
- 1 Package Black Forest ham
- 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens - this will take several minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/4 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan. Set aside once the cheese is fully melted.
- Start slicing the bread. You'll want the slices to be somewhat thin, but thick enough that they can withstand layers of meat and melted cheese.
- Arrange the bread on two baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip the slices, then continue toasting for two more minutes.
- Spread half of the toasted bread with Dijon mustard.
- Layer the ham and apple slices on top of the mustard. Sprinkle half of the Gruyere over the apples, and top with another slice of bread.
- Pour the cheese sauce over sandwiches, spreading it all across the top. Sprinkle the remaining Gruyere over the sandwiches.
- Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Switch the oven to broil and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the tops of the sandwiches are slightly browned and bubbling.