Open Faced Croque Monsieur

1. 1

   For the cheesy bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan.

2. 2

   Add flour, whisk and cook for 12 minutes (do not let it get brown).

3. 3

   Whisk in milk.

4. 4

   Add nutmeg and thyme.

5. 5

   Continue to stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.

6. 6

   Turn off heat.

7. 7

   Add 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese and whisk until smooth.

8. 8

   Let cool and then refrigerate.

9. 9

   (Can be made 1 or 2 days in advance.)

10. 10

    For the Croque Monsieur: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with 23 tablespoons olive oil.

11. 11

    Place the slices of bread on the baking sheet and slide them around a bit so that the bottom side of the bread is evenly coated with olive oil.

12. 12

    Spread 23 tablespoons cheesy bechamel sauce (recipe above) on the top side of each bread slice, spreading it out evenly to the edges.

13. 13

    Top each piece of bread with 2 slices of Black Forest ham.

14. 14

    Add a few tomato slices and spinach leaves, if desired.

15. 15

    Salt and pepper to taste.

16. 16

    Next, add approximately 4 tablespoons of grated Swiss cheese and 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese to each.

17. 17

    Bake in a 400 degrees F oven for 1520 minutes until cheese starts to brown and bread is crispy and toasted on the bottom.

No additional tips available.