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Croque madame brunch bake
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Croque madame brunch bake
Brunch just got serious. This cheese and ham bake is topped with crispy fried eggs giving a new twist on a classic croque madam, perfect for a weekend treat
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
667Kcal
Fat
41gr
Saturates
21gr
Carbs
34gr
Sugars
9gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
41gr
Salt
3.5gr
Emily Jonzen
Emily Jonzen is a London-based food stylist and recipe writer with almost ten years of experience working on books, magazines, packaging, advertising and television projects.
See more of Emily Jonzen’s recipes
Emily Jonzen
Emily Jonzen is a London-based food stylist and recipe writer with almost ten years of experience working on books, magazines, packaging, advertising and television projects.
See more of Emily Jonzen’s recipes
Ingredients
- 50g unsalted butter, melted
- 6 slices white sandwich loaf
- 25g plain flour
- 500ml semi-skimmed milk
- a generous pinch of nutmeg
- 200g Gruyère, grated
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard, or to taste
- 6 slices good quality ham (we used Taste the Difference Honey Roast Wiltshire-Cured Ham Slices)
Optional
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 4-6 eggs, depending on serving size
Step by step
- Preheat the grill to high. Use half the melted butter to brush over one side of each of the slices of bread. Grill the bread, butter-side up, until golden and crisp. Set aside. Heat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and, once foaming, add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time, until smooth. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until you have a thickened, smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and stir through the nutmeg, 125g of the cheese and season to taste.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread the Dijon evenly over the untoasted sides of the bread. Lay two slices of ham over 3 of the slices of bread and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the ham. Top with the remaining slices of bread, toasted-side-up, and press down. Cut into triangles and arrange in a 2-litre baking dish or roasting tin. Pour the cheese sauce over the sandwiches evenly, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the bake is in the oven, heat the oil in a large nonstick pan and fry the eggs to your liking. Top the bake with the eggs to serve.