Croque Monsieur with Side Salad Recipe

This Croque Monsieur recipe with side salad layers toasted sourdough with savoury ham, nutty Gruyère cheese, Dijon mustard, and a rich homemade Mornay sauce before baking and broiling it until golden, bubbly, and irresistibly cheesy. Featured on VEGANnotvegan with hosts Maddie and Kiki Longo, the classic French-inspired sandwich is paired with a bright lemon-dressed arugula salad for a satisfying balance of richness and freshness.

The Inspiration

The Croque Monsieur is one of France’s most recognizable café sandwiches, known for combining simple ingredients in a way that feels indulgent and elegant. At its heart, it is a hot ham-and-cheese sandwich, but the addition of a creamy Mornay sauce transforms it into something considerably more luxurious.

In this version featured on VEGANnotvegan, hosts Maddie and Kiki Longo pair the rich Croque Monsieur with a light arugula salad dressed simply with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. That contrast is an important part of the dish. The sandwich is deeply savoury, creamy, buttery, and cheesy, while the salad offers peppery greens and fresh acidity that keep the meal from becoming too heavy.

Ingredients

For the Croque Monsieur

About 4 slices ham from a whole ham, about 1/8 inch thick
2 slices fresh sourdough bread, toasted
1 cup plus ½ cup grated gruyere cheese, divided
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Side Salad

½ (5 oz) container arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Make the Croque Monsieur

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat until it stops foaming. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking until a smooth, thick sauce forms. Stir in the freshly grated nutmeg and gruyere cheese until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper and take the Mornay sauce off the heat.
Place a wire rack under the broiler and preheat the broiler.
Spread Dijon mustard on one side of each slice of sourdough bread. Top the mustard with 1/3 of the remaining gruyere cheese, the sliced ham, and another 1/3 of the gruyere. Add the other sourdough slice to form a sandwich and place on a baking sheet. Top the sandwich with about 1 cup of the Monray sauce (It’s ok for it to drip down the sides!) and remaining gruyere.
Bake sandwich at 350 F (180 C) for 3 minutes then broil for 2-4 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown. Carefully slice the warm sandwich in half, garnish with chopped chives, and serve with side salad.

Make the Side Salad

Whisk together the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add the arugula and toss to coat.

Serving Suggestions

This Croque Monsieur recipe with side salad is especially well suited to brunch, lunch, a relaxed weekend meal, or an easy café-inspired dinner at home. The sandwich itself is rich enough to be the centrepiece of the meal, with layers of ham, Gruyère, Dijon mustard, and creamy Mornay sauce providing plenty of savoury flavour and substance.

For brunch, serve the Croque Monsieur immediately after broiling so the top remains golden and bubbly and the interior stays warm and melty. A fresh fruit plate or simple seasonal fruit could complement the meal if serving it as part of a larger brunch spread.

For lunch or dinner, the sandwich can be plated in halves so the layers of toasted sourdough, ham, and melted Gruyère are visible. Spoon any extra Mornay sauce that remains in the saucepan alongside the sandwich if desired, or save it for another use.

Final Thoughts

This Croque Monsieur recipe delivers everything that makes the classic French-inspired sandwich so appealing: toasted bread, savoury ham, nutty Gruyère, tangy Dijon mustard, a creamy homemade cheese sauce, and a beautifully browned finish.

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