Croque Monsieur Casserole

Directions

1. 1

   Step 1

   

   Prepare bowls, a mixer, a saucepan, a grater, and a baking dish approximately 20 × 30 cm. Line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Step 2

   

   Preheat the oven to 150 °C. Coarsely grate the cheese. Cut the carbonade slices into 3–4 pieces. Cut the bread into 2.5 cm cubes.

3. 3

   Step 3

   

   Spread the bread cubes on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 150 °C for 10–15 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a deep bowl.

4. 4

   Step 4

   

   Break the eggs into a clean, large bowl. Add the cream and mustard, then sprinkle in the salt and black pepper for the casserole. Whisk well and pour the mixture over the dried bread. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Step 5

   

   Increase the oven temperature to 180 °C. Grease the baking dish with 20 g of butter. Spread half of the bread in the cream-egg mixture evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle with about half of the grated cheese and distribute half of the carbonade.

6. 6

   Step 6

   

   Spread the remaining bread over the meat, pour over the rest of the mixture. Add the second half of the carbonade, sprinkle with most of the remaining cheese. Bake for 30–40 minutes at 180 °C until the cheese melts.

7. 7

   Step 7

   

   Meanwhile, place 80 g of butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the flour changes color and a nutty aroma appears.

8. 8

   Step 8

   

   Pour the warm milk into the saucepan. Simmer the sauce, stirring, until it boils. Add the remaining salt and black pepper, and the nutmeg. Let it thicken for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat.

9. 9

   Step 9

   

   Increase the oven temperature to 210–220 °C. Pour the sauce over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for another 2–3 minutes until a golden crust forms.

   TipIf your oven has a grill function, you can turn it on at this step.

10. 10

    Step 10

    

    Serve the Croque Monsieur casserole for breakfast.