Croque Monsieur Bake

Je t’aime Paris…like the rest of the world I fell in love with the city of lights the moment I set foot in it pour la première fois (for the very first time). The architecture, sights, sounds, culinary delights are a sheer assault on the senses that completely embraces you. Paris, like all accomplished lovers, satisfies you on every level & yet leaves you hungering for more. So here goes… my humble ode to a French classic. Also like many good brunch recipes, this is also just the hangover cure needed after a night of alcoholic excess. The joy of this is that you make up the mustardy ham and cheese sandwiches and cover with beaten eggs the night before, and just let them sit in the fridge melding into one savory, gooey pudding overnight. The next morning goes as follows: oven on, egg-and-bread dish in… brunch effortlessly served…

Ingredients:

• 6 slices ready-sliced multi-grain brown bread
• 75 grams Dijon mustard
• 6 slices cheese (I used good ol’ fashioned Kraft)
• 3 slices ham
• 6 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 80 ml full fat milk
• 4 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese (or emmental or cheddar)
• 1 good sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce (or even barbeque sauce will do fine)

Method

Spread each slice of bread with mustard. Make sandwiches by putting each slice of cheese against the mustardy bread, and a slice of ham between them. Cut each sandwich in half to make two triangles. Squish the sandwich triangles into an ovenproof dish approx. Beat together the eggs, salt and milk (measure out the milk into whatever the mustard's been in for maximum flavour penetration) and then pour this over the sandwiches tightly packed in the dish. Cover the dish with cling-film and leave in the fridge overnight. Next morning, preheat the oven to 200°C. Take the dish out of the fridge and remove the cling-film.Sprinkle with the grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve with a glass of chilled white wine or sherry… Bon Apetite` !!!
 

Mommy’s Tip :

In case your pud looks a tad dry from sitting in the fridge all night, add half a cup of milk with a tsp. of mustard mixed in & grate a bit of cheese on top before popping it in the oven