Thanksgiving has really snuck up on us this year. It seems like yesterday I was still pregnant and now our daughter is already 5 months old. I spent this morning making plans with my sister and mother-in-law for the Thanksgiving Holiday menu. It’s so much easier when several family members work together. We talked about how we’d split up the shopping list, who was cooking what and how much wine we actually need. (We never buy enough!)
Besides the Thanksgiving day treats, we also made plans for breakfasts and lunches. We’re going to need to eat well if we plan on doing any Black Friday shopping. And we’ll be shopping till we drop, well from the computer anyway. We all absolutely despise fighting the crowds on Black Friday. However, we all love to check out the deals on Amazon and on online at our favorite stores on Black Friday. It’s easy and painless Black Friday shopping that we can do in our pajamas with a mimosa in one hand and our tablets in the other.
We’re making a small turkey and small ham this year. So we were also planning out the recipes that we’ll make with the leftovers. One of my favorite recipes to make when I have leftover ham is a Croque Monsieur. It sounds and tastes super fabulous, but it’s cheap, easy and so quick to make.
So on my grocery list, I added my family’s favorite fresh English Muffins from Thomas’ Bagels. I’ll be using them to make these incredible Croque Monsieur Muffins with the leftover ham for breakfast for everybody. These are so delicious and make the perfect super easy and “fancy” breakfast or brunch for friends and family. I’ll serve these with fresh fruit and mimosas.
To make these, I just make a simple Béchamel sauce on the stovetop. It takes just a few minutes and tastes wonderful. Then I take the English muffins, and spread on some Dijon mustard and layer on the leftover ham. Next comes the cheese. Gruyere is traditional, but I also really like to use Dubliner cheese too. It’s got a milder flavor that goes great with absolutely everything. I even make pizzas with it.
After I make the little sandwich, I top it with the creamy Béchamel, and more cheese. Then I just place this under the broiler until the cheese is melted and started to brown. It’s so simple!
Then you have this creamy delicious wonderful yumminess. So perfect!
But if you want to make it really over the top, let’s go ahead and add a fried egg and make it a Croquque Madame. Oh my!
This recipe works best with plain English muffins.
Yield: Serves 4
For the Béchamel sauce:
Turn broiler to high.
Melt butter in a medium skillet. Whisk in flour. Add salt and pepper and continue to whisk while cooking over medium-low heat until flour mixture smells nutty.
Whisk in milk and turn heat to high, continuing to whisk until sauce thickens and is bubbly. Turn heat to simmer and continue to cook for a few minutes more until sauce has thickened. Add nutmeg and taste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble sandwiches by dividing English muffins in half and spreading each side with a little Dijon mustard. Add a slice of ham and about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
Add top half of English muffin. Spoon Béchamel sauce and top of sandwich and then add about 2 tablespoons more of grated cheese. Place sandwiches under the broiler for just a few minutes, or until cheese has melted and lightly browned.
Serve immediately, or add a fired egg to the top to make a Croque Madame Muffins
This post sponsored by Thomas’ Breads. All thoughts and opinions 100% mine.