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Croque Madame Panini

Yield
4 sandwiches & approx. 2 cups of Mornay Sauce
Cook Time
If the mornay sauce and fried eggs didn’t already give it away, it’s obvious this isn’t your average ham sandwich. Chef/co-owner Jason W. Knutson, 5 O’Clock Club, Pewaukee, WI

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces baked ham, thinly sliced
  • 8 thick slices rustic bread
  • 4 ounces Roth Grand Cru®, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup mornay sauce, warmed
  • _
  • Mornay Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups hot milk
  • Dash ground nutmeg
  • Dash ground cloves
  • Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 ounces Roth Grand Cru®, shredded

Method

Mornay Sauce

  1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly (do not allow the mixture to brown).
  2. Remove saucepan from heat, add hot milk and whisk vigorously until smooth.
  3. Whisk in nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper; add bay leaf and return saucepan to stove. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove bay leaf and stir in Grand Cru® Original. Whisk sauce until cheese is fully melted.

Panini

  1. Layer ham on four slices of bread; top with Grand Cru® Original and remaining bread slices.
  2. Spread butter on the outside of each sandwich and grill on a panini press or griddle until bread is lightly browned and cheese is fully melted.
  3. While the sandwiches are cooking, heat remaining butter in a skillet and fry eggs until over medium.
  4. Preheat broiler.
  5. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and ⅓ cup mornay sauce (recipe below).
  6. Broil sandwich for 2-3 minutes and serve immediately.