Croque Monsieur

A little over two years ago, MD and I whisked off to spend ten days in Paris for our honeymoon. It was incredible. We fell in love with the city the moment our feet hit the Parisian pavement.

After a nine hour flight and two Metro rides later, we were walking down the sidewalks of Paris ignoring our jetlag and looking like quite the tourists with our large suitcases rolling loudly behind us. We stopped every block or two to admire the beautiful architecture, colorful produce stands, restaurants we wanted to remember to visit during our stay, and of course the beautiful people.

Once we checked in to our lovely little hotel, we were only concerned with one thing: LUNCH!

Although MD did more than enough research prior to our visit, we weren’t quite sure where we should dine first. We walked out the sliding glass doors at the front of our hotel, took a left and set out to have our first meal in Paris.

Nearly every single restaurant has tables and chairs in front of their entrance that spill out onto the streets. We walked by a few restaurants near our hotel and peered onto the locals’ plates to see what caught our eyes.

It didn’t take long for us to end up at the Bar du Marché. 

(I snapped this photo later that night. We also came home with a beautiful painting of this special restaurant.)

We took our seats next to two beautiful ladies. On one of their plates was a slice of cheesy bread and a side salad. I compared what I saw on her plate to the menu until I finally figured out what it was.

Enter Croque Monsieur. 

Here's a picture I snapped before I devoured it.

Our first meal in Paris.

Here I am eating it again at another restaurant a few days later.

When translated, Croque Monsieur means “mister crunchy.” It is a slice of French bread with a generous spread of spicy Dijon mustard, topped with a slice of Virginia ham and Gruyere cheese baked until golden brown.

It’s heavenly.

Serve it with crispy French fries and a side of the spicy Dijon mustard. Never ever eat ketchup with this meal.

Here's our creation made in America. 

Here’s what you’ll need to make one sandwich:
One slice French bread
Once slice Virginia ham
Spicy Dijon mustard
Shredded Gruyere cheese
French fries

How to make it:
Take your slice of French bread, spread an even, generous layer of spicy Dijon mustard, top that with a slice of ham and sprinkle the cheese on top. Place onto a baking sheet and bake on 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve with French fries and chilled white wine.

Bon appétit!

Christi