Mini Croque Madames

Name: Mini Croque Madames
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 113 grams thinly sliced cooked ham; 16 servings Dijon mustard; 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 pinch Pinch ground nutmeg; 142 grams 2/3 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (about; 0 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed; 16 quail eggs; 6 Tbsps unsalted butter (3/4 stick); 2 Tbsps vegetable oil; 8 slices white sandwich bread; 118 milliliters whole milk

Mini Croque Madames might be just the hor d'oeuvre you are searching for. This recipe serves 16. One serving contains 154 calories, 7g of protein, and 11g of fat. This recipe covers 5% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 1 hour.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 475°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

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Oven

Place 1/3 cup of the cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Cheese

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Place the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter and brush it on both sides of the bread, using all of it.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Bread

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Baking Sheet

Bake until the bread is toasted and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set the baking sheet and bread aside.Meanwhile, make the béchamel: Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until foaming.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Bread

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Sauce Pan

Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until it’s no longer raw-tasting, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the milk and add the measured salt and nutmeg. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Nutmeg

All Purpose Flour

Milk

Salt

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.Evenly divide the ham over 4 of the toasted bread slices, then evenly divide the remaining 1 1/3 cups of cheese over the ham.

Ingredients you will need

Cheese

Bread

Ham

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Spread a thin layer of Dijon on the remaining 4 slices of bread and place them mustard-side down on top of the cheese. Press gently to compact the sandwiches. Cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the cheese is just starting to melt, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Mustard

Cheese

Spread

Bread

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Baking Sheet

Oven

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and discard the foil.

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Baking Sheet

Aluminum Foil

Oven

Whisk the reserved béchamel sauce until smooth, then spread it on the tops of the sandwiches, using all of it.

Ingredients you will need

Sauce

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Sprinkle the reserved 1/3 cup of cheese over the béchamel.

Ingredients you will need

Cheese

Bake the sandwiches uncovered until the cheese on top is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crack 8 of the quail eggs into a small bowl.When the sandwiches are ready, remove them from the oven and set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Quail Eggs

Cheese

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Oven

Bowl

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat until shimmering.

Ingredients you will need

Vegetable Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Pour the 8 cracked eggs into the pan, spacing them evenly (if some of the whites stick together, separate them with a spatula). Season the eggs with salt and cook undisturbed until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, about 2 to 3 minutes.

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Egg Yolk

Egg

Salt

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Spatula

Frying Pan

Remove the fried eggs to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining 8 eggs.Trim the crusts from each reserved sandwich, then cut each sandwich into 4 smaller squares.

Ingredients you will need

Egg

Place the sandwiches on a serving platter, top each with a fried quail egg, and serve immediately.

Ingredients you will need

Quail