Croque Madame
A croque monsieur crowned with a soft fried egg.
Ingredients
- 4 slices Baguette
- 120 g Ham
- 120 g Gruyere cheese
- 30 g Butter
- 20 g 00 flour
- 250 ml Milk
- 2 Egg
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Method
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook the paste for a minute without colouring.
- Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the spoon.
- Grate the gruyère and build the sandwiches with the ham, mustard, and a layer of cheese.
- Top the sandwiches with the béchamel and the remaining cheese and grill until bubbling and golden.
- Fry the eggs sunny-side up.
- Crown each croque with a fried egg and a grind of pepper to serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Croque Madame
Croque Madame is a croque monsieur crowned with a fried egg—the Parisian café sandwich refined by the addition of a runny yolk, which becomes an instant sauce. The monsieur itself is built simply: ham and Gruyère between two pieces of bread with Dijon mustard, then topped with béchamel and more cheese before being grilled until the outside crisps and the inside becomes a molten mass of ham, cheese, and cream sauce. The egg is cooked separately and centered atop, sunny-side up, so its yolk breaks across the whole thing.
Twenty-two minutes and you have a lunch that tastes like Paris: crisp exterior hiding a mess of ham, cheese, and cream sauce, each bite made richer when you hit the yolk. The béchamel is essential—it keeps everything moist without making it soggy, and it binds all the flavors together into something greater than the sum of parts. Good bread matters here, sturdy enough to hold the weight of fillings without turning into paste. A black pepper finish is not optional; it adds heat and earthiness that cut the richness of the egg and cheese. This is the sandwich that makes a proper lunch feel like occasion, with a cold drink and someone to share it with.
Croque Madame: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a croque monsieur and a croque madame?
Both are French grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches (typically Gruyère or Emmental) made with béchamel or mornay sauce; the croque monsieur is the base version. A croque madame is simply a croque monsieur topped with a fried or poached egg—the egg is said to resemble a woman's hat, which is the traditional explanation for the "madame" name.
How many calories are in Croque Madame?
A serving has about 868 calories — 46.1g protein, 47.3g carbs, 54.8g fat, 2.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 46.1g of protein, roughly 21% of its calories.
Is Croque Madame gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Baguette, 00 flour. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
Is Croque Madame dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Gruyere cheese, Butter, Milk. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Croque Madame?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out dijon mustard — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Croque Madame make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.