Easy Ham and Cheese Brioche Toastie (Croque Monsieur)

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Published on January 18, 2017 by Helen Best-Shaw 52 Comments
Last Updated on March 30, 2020

Lift a run of the mill ham and cheese sandwich with this easy ham cheese toastie or Croque Monsieur, combining brioche eggy bread, stringy mozzarella cheese and versatile Princes canned ham.

A toastie – toasted sandwich – might be known as the staple of students and a hangover from 60s bedsit dwellers – the sandwich toaster itself must surely be past its glory days – but that doesn’t mean it has to be, or even should be, forgotten. A few minutes can take a ham and cheese sandwich from the essence of ordinary to something much more enticing; crunchy, gooey and oozing cheese.

Here, we’ve lifted the sandwich by using a nice light brioche bread: the added butter makes for a sinfully tasty sandwich, but it does mean that it joins the list of occasional treats rather than frequent staples. Rather than go with the traditional croque monsieur recipe using a bechamel sauce, we’ve decided to go for an eggy bread/french toast influence, and soak the bread in an egg and milk mixture. This means that we can cook our sandwich in a frying pan and get that lovely brown, crunchy layer on the outside. It’s better if you don’t cook it too fast, so that the heat has time to melt the cheese properly. The other advantage of this recipe is that it’s a lot faster than having to make a bechamel sauce, and when it comes to a snack like a toastie, speed is of essence.

The only thing you have to watch out for is that the soaked bread can be a little delicate. I just soak one side, which I use as the outside of each sandwich. And don’t stand on ceremony – once served, start eating almost immediately.

Pop over to Come Home to Princes, where you find lots of other recipes, including some more from me.

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Enjoy this toastie, combining brioche eggy bread, stringy mozzarella cheese and ham.

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Easy toasted ham and cheese sandwich (cheat's croque monsieur)

Lift an ordinary ham and cheese sandwich to new heights with this easy ham and cheese toastie. Melting cheeses ooze from a sandwich of delicious eggy brioche surrounding delicious savoury ham. An easy but indulgent treat.

Servings: sandwiches

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 slices brioche bread
1 tbsp butter (for frying)
2 slices ham (thick cut)
40 g mozzarella (sliced)
40 g strong cheese – Swiss, Cheddar etc (sliced)

Instructions

Beat the egg and milk together in a flat bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and soak the brioche – one side of each slice only.
2 eggs, 1 tbsp milk, salt and pepper, 4 slices brioche bread
Heat the butter in the frying pan and assemble the sandwich in the pan, starting with a slice of brioche, egg side down, then the ham and cheese and the second slice of brioche.
1 tbsp butter, 2 slices ham, 40 g mozzarella, 40 g strong cheese – Swiss, Cheddar etc
Fry gently over a medium heat until the brioche is golden and the cheese has started to melt. Eat immediately!

Notes

Storage

Don't even think about it! Storing or freezing this brioche sandwich will mean disappointing results. Make it and eat it straight away.

Hints & tips

The soaked bread can be a little delicate, so I just soak one side. Use the eggy side of the bread as the outside of the sandwich. You can put the first piece egg-side down in the pan and layer up the ham and cheese there.

Don't turn the heat up too high. You don't want the outside cooked before the cheese melts.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition Facts

Easy toasted ham and cheese sandwich (cheat's croque monsieur)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 546 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 332mg111%

Sodium 888mg39%

Potassium 169mg5%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 1160IU23%

Calcium 178mg18%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: British, French

Keyword: Easy Croque Monsieur

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Recipe feature of ham and cheese toastie commissioned by Princes. All opinions our own.

Lift a run of the mill ham and cheese sandwich with this easy ham cheese toastie or Croque Monsieur, combining brioche eggy bread, stringy mozzarella cheese and versatile Princes canned ham.

For another recipe based on cheese, make my Baked Feta and Tomatoes with Garlic.

A dish of baked feta and tomatoes, garnished with fresh herbs.

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Easy Ham and Cheese Brioche Toastie (Croque Monsieur)

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