Croque Monsieur

Too yummy to discribe! Perfect comfort food

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of butter

¼ cup of flour

2 cups of hot whole milk

½ of grated Swiss cheese

12 thin slices of Swiss cheese

¼ tsp of ground pepper

¼ tsp of ground nutmeg

A dash of cayenne pepper

8 slices of brioche bread toasted lightly

8 ozs of thinly sliced deli ham

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with buttered parchment paper and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 3 tbsp of butter.  Add the flour and cook, whishing constantly for 3 minutes.  Turn the rimmer down to low.

In a separate small saucepan. Heat the milk to hot but not boiling and remove from the heat.  Gradually add the hot milk to the butter/flour mixture, whisking as you do.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.  Cook for 2 more minutes.  Stir in the grated Swiss cheese and season with the pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Place the mixture in the fridge on a hot mat to cool slightly.

Place the prepared cookie sheet in front of the toaster.  Toast the first 4 slices of bread and set on the cookie sheet.  Toast the last 4 slices for bread.

While the second 4 slices are toasting, start placing the ¼ cup of the mixture of each for the first 4 slices, then place a slice of cheese slice on each one.  Add 2 slices of ham to each.  Then repeat the cheese ham again.

Place the last 4 slices of toasted bread on top of the filled sandwich.  Top each sandwich with the remaining mixture, evenly among the 4 and add a slice of cheese on top.

Bake them in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and place the oven rack near the broiler.  Put the sandwiches back in the oven on the broiler rack and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is bubbly. 

Serve while still hot.