This easy ham and cheese toastie lifts a run-of-the-mill sandwich to a French classic. A variation on the classic croque monsieur, this eggy brioche sandwich is filled with melting cheeses and ham. If you’re looking for new ideas for lunch, this brioche sandwich is just what you need.
Ham and cheese toastie
We love a toastie – a glorious, satisfying toasted sandwich that ticks all the boxes when you’re tired and hungry. In my childhood, the craze for electric toasted sandwich-makers produced all sorts of combinations, made possible by the sealed edge produced by the machines.
See also
Want to make your own brioche from the oven try our recipe today!
Cheese and ham filo samosas – fun fusion filo parcels that are great for parties
Simple to make our tomato and egg salad cream sandwich is great for lunch or dinner.
The classic, however, is the traditional French ham and cheese toastie. The croque monsieur is enticing, crunchy, gooey and oozes cheese.
Luxury eggy bread brioche sandwich
This recipe lifts the ham and cheese toastie by using a nice light brioche bread. The butter in the brioche makes for a sinfully tasty sandwich. It does, however, make this cheese and ham toastie recipe an occasional treat rather than a weekly staple.
Rather than the traditional croque monsieur made with béchamel sauce (or croque madame with an egg on top), the brioche is soaked in egg and milk.
This means that the sandwich can cook in a frying pan and get that lovely brown, crunchy layer on the outside, creating what is essentially an eggy bread brioche sandwich – one of my favourite recent ideas!
The main advantage of this method is that it is a lot faster than having to make a sauce, and when it comes to a snack like a toastie, speed is of essence.
Just don’t be tempted to cook it too fast. You want to give the cheese time to melt properly. If you turn the heat up too high, the eggy bread will be browning before the filling is ready.
Why make this brioche ham and cheese toastie
- absolutely delicious
- quick and easy
- an effortless but indulgent treat
Ham and cheese toastie ingredients
- Brioche bread, cut into thick slices – Choose a rectangular loaf, not one from a round brioche tin.
- Egg – for soaking the brioche
- Ham – good quality ham
- Cheese – Use a mixture for a blend of flavours. Emmental is good, or for a nuttier flavour, a more expensive Comté or Beaufort. Add some good cheddar. Mozzarella is mild and has that distinctive stretchy melt.
- Butter – for frying
- Milk (not shown) – to mix with the egg
What cheese is best in toasties?
A cheese that melts well, but isn’t too stringy, and has a good flavour. Mountain cheeses such as Swiss Emmental, Comté, or Beaufort are excellent. Or some good mature cheddar. Or a mix!
Mozzarella give adds stretchiness and that lovely ooey gooey meltiness. Not too much, though!
How to make ham and cheese toasties – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Beat the egg and milk together in a jug and season with salt and pepper. Then pour into a flat dish.
Step Two – Soak the brioche on one side of each slice only. Dunk it into the dish and lightly press with your hand. If you try to turn it and soak on both sides, the brioche will fall apart.
Step Three – Melt the butter in a good heavy pan, and assemble the toastie in the pan, starting with the first piece of brioche, egg side down. Top this with the ham, cheese and then the second slice of brioche, egg side up.
Step Four – Fry gently over a medium heat, flipping half way through, until the eggy brioche is golden and the cheese has started to melt. Eat immediately!
Serving suggestion
Serve right away! Eat your eggy brioche toastie while the cheese is still warm and melting, as the texture will spoil if you leave it.
Variations
Here are some ideas for how to vary your brioche toastie sandwich:
- Spread the side of the brioche that you are not going to dip with a little mustard – English or Dijon as you prefer.
- Add chutney or onion marmalade.
- For vegetarians, drained sundried tomatoes make a good substitute for ham because the strong salty flavour will cut through the cheese. Add some torn basil leaves if you like.
- Top with a fried egg
- Make a lighter version using bread rather than brioche in your toastie.
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. Put the first piece egg-side down in the pan and layer up the ham and cheese there, so that you don’t get in a mess.
- Don’t turn the heat up too high. You don’t want the outside cooked before the cheese melts.
FAQs
Yes. I know there are versions you can make in a toaster, but that doesn’t work with eggy bread.
Brioche is an enriched French bread with a high egg and butter content for soft, luxurious crumb. It is sometimes thought of as half way between bread and cake or sweet pastries.
It can be eaten alone, spread with something sweet or made into brioche sandwiches, the most traditional of which is brioche jambon fromage – ham and cheese.
You could try turkey ‘ham’ or a vegan substitute if the issue is pork, or you could leave the ham out altogether and add your favourite chutney to contrast with the rich cheee and egg.
More sandwich ideas
- Cheese and tomato salad cream sandwiches – rediscovering a British classic
- Tomato and egg salad cream sandwich – plain and simple
- Easy homemade sandwich spread – a childhood favourite
- How to make a ploughman’s lunch – a pub classic
Easy toasted ham and cheese sandwich (cheat’s croque monsieur)
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.
Leave a Reply