Croque-monsieur
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| Type | Sandwich |
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| Place of origin | France |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Bread, whipped eggs, butter, boiled ham, cheese (typically Emmental), pepper and salt |
| Variations | croque madame |
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The croque monsieur (French pronunciation: [kʁɔk məsˈjøː]; French for "gentleman crunch") is a baked or fried boiled ham and cheese sandwich. The dish originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack. A Croque Madame is a version of the dish topped with a fried egg.
The name is based on the verb croquer ("to bite") and the word monsieur ("mister"). The sandwich's first recorded appearance on a Paris café menu was in 1910. Its earliest mention in literature appears to be in volume two of Proust's In Search of Lost Time in 1918.
A croque monsieur is traditionally made with boiled ham between slices of brioche-like pain de mie topped with grated cheese and slightly salted and peppered, which is baked in an oven or fried in a frying pan. The dish can also be made with normal butter bread, with a soft crust. A simple, cheap version uses square toast. Instead of the butter bread, the bread may optionally be browned by grilling before being dipped in beaten egg. Traditionally, Emmental or Gruyère is used, or sometimes Comté cheese as well. Some brasseries also add Béchamel sauce.
Croques monsieur may be baked or fried so that the cheese topping melts and forms a crust. Croque-monsieur-specific horizontal grills exist.
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