This popular French sandwich is the perfect dish for brunch, since there is ham in it; it’s also perfect for an Easter brunch or a way to use the leftover ham. I love this sandwich any time of year and it’s a perfect party food for a brunch, tea party or shower. I served these sandwiches at a baby shower brunch and all the ladies were quite impressed with them and needless to say, none leftover. This rich, toasty sandwich can be served whole with a simple mixed green salad as a lunch or brunch entrée but I prefer to cut the sandwiches into smaller portions so the guests can enjoy all the other small bites that I always have available to them to munch on. This would be perfect with champagne, mimosas or orange juice; this “ham & cheese” sandwich is definitely elevated with that French flair for that celebratory soirée, bon appetite!
Ingredients
12 slices of good white bread, sliced & crusts removed (I used potato bread)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups warm whole milk
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of black pepper
4 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
¼ cup grated parmesan Romano cheese
Dijon mustard
8 ounces of sliced ham, I used honey baked
The table looks so festive, gorgeous and delicious…time to dig in
Directions
- Toast all the bread in a toaster and set aside
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the shallots for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the flour and salt and stir until well combined, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring well so this mixture does not stick
- Add milk, wine, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, black pepper, whisking until smooth and cooking for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens, add 1 cup of grated Gruyere cheese and the parmesan Romano and whisk in until smooth, set aside
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Place the toasted bread on a parchment lined sheet pan and spread Dijon on one side of the toast, top with ham and some grated Gruyere and top with another piece of toasted bread repeat with the remaining bread, cut each sandwich into thirds, halves or leave whole, this depends on how you want to serve these
- Spread the top of each sandwich with a couple of spoonful’s of the cheese sauce and spread out a bit but not letting the sauce to drip over the edges
- Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on top
- Serves 6 to 12
OMG, look at the gooey cheese coming out, you can almost taste it…
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