What is a vegetarian croque monsieur sandwich?
The croque monsieur is simply a ham and cheese sandwich filled with dijon mustard, grated cheese, and béchamel sauce. It is topped with more béchamel sauce and cheese before being baked in the oven until crispy and delicious. To make this a vegetarian croque monsieur I swapped out the ham for sliced vegan ham.
Ingredients
- White bread
- Vegan ham
- Dijon mustard
- Butter
- Grated cheese
- Béchamel sauce
How to make a vegetarian croque Monsieur
Firstly, prepare your béchamel sauce. I like to infuse my milk and cream with onion, garlic and bay leaf before making the sauce. This step is optional but adds delicious extra flavour.
To infuse your milk and cream simply add it to a pan with the chopped onion, minced garlic and a bay leaf. Heat the milk until it is almost boiling and then take off the heat. Leave to infuse for at least 10 minutes before straining and discarding the onion and bay leaf.
To make the béchamel melt your butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually add in the infused milk and whisk until thickened.
Now is time to prepare the sandwiches. Butter one side of each slice of bread and grill until golden.
Flip the bread and spread each slice with dijon mustard and a thin layer of béchamel. Sprinkle over some grated cheese and a slice of vegan ham.
Use the slices to form 2 sandwiches. Top them with the remaining béchamel and grated cheese.
Bake the sandwiches in the oven for 10-15 minutes until melted and golden on top.
Which cheese for croque monsieur?
The best cheese for croque monsieur is any alpine cheese. Gruyère is most commonly used, but comté or Emmental are also great choices. Feel free to experiment, however, and use a mixture of cheeses or try something new, like Cheddar or mozzarella.
Which bread for croque monsieur
You need to have a thick and sturdy bread to make sure your croque monsieur holds its structure and doesn’t go soggy. I used sourdough but you could also use a crusty white loaf as well.
Croque monsieur vs croque madame
Simply put, a croque madame is a croque monsieur topped with a fried or poached egg with a runny yolk.
Similar recipes
For more delicious vegetarian sandwich ideas check out more of my recipes:
- Goat’s cheese and apricot panini
- Vegetarian afternoon tea sandwiches
- Vegan afternoon tea sandwiches
- Halloumi and pesto sandwich
- South African grilled cheese braaibroodjies
Vegetarian Croque Monsieur
Ingredients
Method
- Add the milk, cream, onion, garlic and bay leaf to a medium sauce pan. Heat until almost boiling then take off the heat. Allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the onion and bay leaf.
- Heat the butter in a sauce pan. Once melted add the flour and whisk for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in the infused milk. Heat for a couple of minutes until thickened. Take off the heat.
- Season to taste with nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Brush one side of each slice of bread with the melted butter. Grill butter-side-up until golden.
- Remove from the grill and turn the oven to 220℃/200℃ fan (430℉/390℉).
- Flip the bread slices over and spread each slice with the mustard and a thin layer of béchamel. Sprinkle ⅔ of the grated cheese over the béchamel and top with a slice of vegan ham.
- Use the slices to make 2 sandwiches. Top each sandwich with the remaining béchamel and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
