Croque Monsieur Puffs Recipes

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter?flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
• To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
• Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

CROQUE MONSIEUR PUFFS

Steps:

• Adjust rack to the middle of an oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• Combine water, milk, butter, salt, and ham in a heavy, medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• All at once, add the flour and stir in quickly with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring-the mixture will come away form the sides of the pan and become thick and stiff. Keep stiring and turning over for about 1 minute (you want it to dry out a bit).
• Transfer the dough to an electric mixer, and turn mixer on medium-high speed. Add 1 egg and as soon as it is partially incorporated, increase mixer speed to high. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time when the previous egg is well incorporated. The mixture should be smooth. Mix in the cheese and chives.
• IF you have a strong arm, the dough can also be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl. Proceed as directed, and be sure to beat the dough until smooth before mxing in the cheese and chives. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with cooking spray. (Watch the puff bottomes closely to prevent over-browning if not using parchment.) By heaping teaspoonfuls, drop the mixture onto baking sheets in little balls, spaced apart. They shoud be the size of large marbles or jaw-breakers. (You can also pipe them out using a pastry bag.).
• Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm. You can bake these a few hours in advance and reheat in the oven as well!

CROQUE MONSIEUR POCKETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the gruyere, ham, mustard, nutmeg and cayenne in a bowl until combined. Squeeze the mixture together with your hands to make it compact.
• Brush a baking sheet lightly with vegetable oil. On a floured surface, roll out the dough and fill the dinner pockets (see Cook's Note).
• Place the pockets seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; brush the pockets with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE A CROQUEMBOUCHE (CREAM PUFF TOWER) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a pot, heat the milk and vanilla bean pod and seeds over medium heat, bringing it to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn off the heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
• Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the cornstarch and mix until fully incorporated.
• Remove the vanilla bean pod from the milk. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the milk to the egg yolk mixture and mix until well combined. Add the remaining milk mixture and beat until fully incorporated.
• Over medium heat, whisk the mixture constantly until thickened, about 7-10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the butter, whisking to combine.
• Strain the custard into a bowl to ensure a creamy custard (optional). Cover the custard with plastic wrap, making sure that the plastic touches the custard, and chill for at least 2 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
• In a large pot, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil over high heat.
• Once the water begins to boil, remove the pot from the heat and immediately add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture begins to form a ball.
• Return the pot to the heat and cook for another 30 seconds to remove excess moisture. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Working quickly, add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until fully incorporated. Continue stirring until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and is thick and glossy. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Using a piping bag with a standard round tip, fill the bag with the batter.
• Place 1-inch (2 cm) dollops on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spaced at least 1-inch (2 cm) apart.
• Use a wet fingertip to gently press down any points on the puffs. Brush the egg wash over the the puffs.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375˚F (190˚C), and bake for 15 minutes.
• Let puffs cool completely.
• Use the bottom of a wooden skewer to create an opening in the bottom of the cream puff shells, just big enough for a piping tip to insert.
• Fill a piping bag fitting with a small round tip with the custard. Gently fill the puff shells with the custard.
• Add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and put the lid on, cooking for 5 minutes without moving. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, until the caramel is a deep amber color and reaches 300˚F (150˚C).
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the heavy cream, stirring vigorously.
• Working quickly, dip the cream puffs into the caramel and arrange on a serving platter in a circular pattern.
• Continue to stack caramel-dipped cream puffs in a tower shape.
• Once your tower is completed, dip a fork into the caramel sauce and drizzle it around the tower.
• Enjoy!

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Make bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until just starting to bubble. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth but not browned, about 3 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, slowly add milk; continue cooking while whisking until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat, and add salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and black pepper. Transfer to a bowl; place plastic wrap directly on surface of sauce, and set aside.
• Heat broiler. Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Smear one side of bread slices with mustard. Top 4 slices with a layer each of ham and cheese; cover with remaining 4 bread slices, pressing gently to adhere. Generously butter outer sides, spreading it all the way to the edges.
• Place sandwiches on griddle or in skillet. Cook until golden brown and cheese has melted, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer to work surface; divide bechamel sauce evenly over tops, spreading to edges; sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Transfer to broiler, and cook until topping is melted and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

CROQUE-MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Use 2 tablespoons of the butter to spread over one side of each slice of bread. On three of the slices, spread a layer of Dijon mustard over the butter, and top each with 4 slices of ham. On the other three, spread mayonnaise, and top each one with 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Press ham and cheese sides of sandwiches together.
• In a flat bottomed dish, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, and water until blended. Set aside.
• Heat remaining butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip both sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture, and fry in the oil and butter until browned, flipping to brown on each side.

CROQUE-MONSIEUR BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees and generously butter a 9-by-13-inch (or 1 1/2- to 2-quart) baking pan. Butter the slices of bread on one side and spread a thin layer of mustard on the other side. Arrange, shingled, over the bottom of the pan, buttered side up; you may not need all the bread. Drape evenly with ham.
• Whisk together milk, half-and-half, egg, egg yolks and pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and ham. Sprinkle with Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses, allowing the ham to peek out in places. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (for the bread to sop up the milk) or up to overnight. Bake until the custard is set, and the bread and cheese are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to set 20 minutes before scattering evenly with parsley. Scoop and serve warm or at room temperature, with mustard and cornichons.

QUICK CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in bottom third. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Melt butter in another saucepan over medium heat; add flour, whisk to combine, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme, then gradually whisk in milk. Simmer bechamel 2 minutes, whisking. Remove from heat, and add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Cut top crust off bread; slice loaf in half horizontally. Fill sandwich with mustard, ham, and half the Gruyere. Toast on a baking sheet until cheese is melted and top is golden brown.
• Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Spread bechamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with pepper and remaining thyme. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.