Mini Croque Monsieur

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This delightful mini croque monsieur recipe is a perfectly easy, perfectly elegant and exquisitely delicious breakfast or brunch idea that will impress any guest! With ham, crispy gruyere and each slice of baguette coated in dreamy béchamel sauce, you’ll be amazed just how tasty a little sandwich can be!

This petite version of the more traditionally substantial croque monsieur is nicely bite-sized, takes just 10 minutes to bake, and can easily be reheated for later!

6 mini croque monsieur with a small ham rose garnishes and parsley on a wooden cutting board, surrounded by flowers.

Contents hide

1 How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

2 Common Questions

3 A Few Tips

4 Mini Croque Monsieur

The croque monsieur first made its appearance on café menus in Paris around 1910 as a quick snack, and was first noted in Proust’s In Search of Lost time in 1918.

To those unfamiliar with the croque monsieur, it may appear to be a simple ham and cheese sandwich. But little do they know, this cheesy delight is smothered in béchamel sauce; a savory white sauce that adds a hint of nutmeg and dijon.

I love making these for brunch parties, but also for Sunday brunch with my husband. One big one tends to fill me up, but 2 tiny ones are absolutely perfect!

For a perfectly precious brunch buffet spread, I would serve these lovely croque messieurs with these prosciutto and melon appetizers, some beautifully garnished deviled eggs and a sparkling brunch cocktail like this pear and ginger cocktail or pink grapefruit and cucumber cocktail!

How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

1. Make Ham Roses

If you intend to top them with pretty ham roses, make those first so you can pop them on top as soon as croque monsieurs are done.

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to make ham roses.

1. Slice 1 piece of ham into ½ inch slices.

2. Slice 1 piece of ham into ¼ inch slices.

3. Carefully roll the ½ inch slices into a rose, then roll the ¼ inch slices around the other.

4. Place roses in a container and refrigerate until croque messieurs are finished and ready to serve.

2. Make Béchamel Sauce

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to make béchamel sauce.

1. Over LOW-MEDIUM heat, add 2 tbsp. unsalted butter to a saucepan and melt.

2. Add 2 tbsp. flour and whisk into the butter.

3. Add 6 oz. (170 mL) whole milk to the pan and whisk, making sure flour and butter are perfectly mixed. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. This takes about 3-5 minutes.

4. Once sauce has thickened, remove from heat. Add 2 tsp. dijon mustard, a nice sprinkle of nutmeg, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Set aside.

3. Assemble and Bake Croque Messieurs

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to slice bread, smear with sauce, slice ham and place on bread.

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F. (220 C.). Slice a baguette into 12 slices, a little over ½ an inch.

2. On a foil or parchment-lined baking pan, lay baguette slices down and liberally coat each piece with béchamel sauce.

3. For perfectly-sized ham for your bread, fold a slice in half and use a piece of baguette to cut around. Repeat with 6 more slices.

4. Place the ham you cut, and the extra pieces of each slice on top of 6 slices of bread.

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to slice cheese, and assemble croque monsieur on a baking sheet.

5. Thinly slice 4 oz. gruyere (113 mL) into ¼ inch slices.

6. Place 2 slices of cheese on top of ham.

7. Place the tops, béchamel side down, on the ham and cheese, then coat each top with one more thin layer of béchamel sauce.

8. Add a few more pieces of cheese on top. Place baking sheet on the BOTTOM RACK, and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove pan and place on TOP RACK. Increase temperature to 450 F. (230 C.). Allow cheese to bubble and brown on top for 2-3 minutes. Remove, place ham roses and parsley leaves on top and serve.

NOTE: When you move your baking pan from the lower rack to the top rack, and turn up the heat, the ham tends to expand and the cheese melts rapidly, so the tops may slip right off. Simply watch carefully through the oven glass when doing this step to make sure the tops stay secure. I find it’s helpful to move them all close to one another so they all keep each other’s tops secure, then fold up the tin foil around the sides, so they’re all nice and snug.

Common Questions

1. What is the difference between a croque monsieur and a croque madame?

A croque madame is simply a croque monsieur with a sunnyside-up or poached egg on top. Some say it’s a “madame” because the sunnyside-up egg looks like a lady’s hat. There is also a less common “croque mademoiselle” that’s a vegetarian version of a croque monsieur with chives and cucumber.

2. What does “croque” mean?

The word “croque” comes from the verb “croquer” which means “to crunch.” Monsieur means “mister,” so the literal meaning is “crunchy mister.”

3. Can croque monsieur be re-heated for later?

Yes! You can refrigerate croque monsieur for at least 5 days in a sealed container and then simply reheat in a 350 F. (175 C.) oven for 10 minutes and serve.

A Few Tips

1. You can make the béchamel sauce ahead of time.

Béchamel sauce is a simple combination of butter, flour, milk, dijon mustard and a few spices. It only takes about 10 minutes to make, but if you want to get your croque messieurs done in a jiffy, you can make this sauce a whole day ahead of time. Just be sure to store it in a sealed container. When ready to use, you may want to heat it in a saucepan to bring it back to a more spreadable consistency.

2. Make sure the tops don’t slip!

On the last step, when you move your baking pan from the lower rack to the top rack, and turn up the heat, the ham tends to expand and the cheese melts rapidly, so the tops may slip right off. Simply watch carefully through the oven glass when doing this step to make sure the tops stay secure. I find it’s helpful to move them all close to one another so they all keep each other’s tops secure, then fold up the tin foil around them, so they’re all nice and snug.

3. If gruyere is too expensive…

I don’t know about your grocery store, but just 6 ounces of gruyere can run about $8-$11 in Brooklyn. If that’s a bit too pricey, you can substitute gruyere with an emmental cheese which is a kind of (less expensive) Swiss. It’s a similarly hard cheese with a sweet, salty, earthy, complex flavor like gruyere that melts just as well.

A mini croque monsieur with a small ham rose garnish and parsley on a decorative, antique plate.

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Mini Croque Monsieur