Parisian Ham-and-Cheese Sandwich -- Croque Monsieur
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You needn't have studied at Le Cordon Bleu to create the quintessential French-style ham and cheese sandwich. Alicia Ross/Desperation Dinners
2 ounces natural honey deli ham (see note)
¼ cup (2 ounces) Gruyere cheese, shredded, divided
2 slices country white bread
1 tablespoon bechamel sauce, recipe follows
Place ham and half of the cheese between bread slices. In a toaster oven, toast sandwich on high for 3 minutes or until bread is golden brown. (I line my toaster oven with foil so I can use the toaster function without having to flip the sandwich to toast both sides. If you prefer, you can use a pan and turn the sandwich to make sure both sides are toasted.) Remove sandwich from toaster oven and switch it to a broiler mode to preheat.
Place the sandwich on the broiler pan and spread 1 tablespoon bechamel over top of sandwich, and top with remaining cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly about 90 seconds. Serve immediately.
Serves one; easily doubled, tripled, etc.
Cook's note: For testing purposes and nutritional analysis, we used Hormel Natural Choice honey deli ham. There are no preservatives, nitrates, nitrites or MSG added.
@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per sandwich: 546 calories, 23 g fat (12 g saturated), 44 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 36 g protein, 97 mg cholesterol, 1,235 mg sodium
Small Batch Bechamel